Love Has Nothing to do With This
by ShadowsWeaver1
Summary: Kagome has had enough of hearing about how wonderful it was for everyone else, she was tired of wanting but never knowing what she was wanting for. She would end the curse of her virginity, and she would do it...today. D: I don't own INUYASHA!
1. Chapter 1

Their words still echoed in her head.

"It was incredible! His kisses were so hot! And the way his hands would grab me so roughly, like he thought I would slip away from him; it just made me feel so wanted and so feminine."

"Oh. My. God! His tongue! Who would have imagined it could feel so good doing…that! It was like all of my senses were set on fire! If I had died in that moment I would have died a happy girl."

"How it feels when he collapses against you in completion; it's like he's giving you every part of himself, giving over to you in complete admiration, allowing himself to fall without care that you see his weakness. And you can feel it inside of you, the heat of his passion. There's no feeling like it in the world."

"I don't think I'm going to be able to walk for a week! We didn't leave my room all weekend! But it was so worth it! I've never been so hot for so long, and I never thought that my body could move that way!"

"You mean you did it…with both of them? At the same time? I've always wanted to do that!"

"It was like every inch of my body was being touched. And when they were inside of me, I couldn't even see anything but for the white-hot pleasure. To be filled so completely, to feel everything so acutely, to know so much pleasure…."

"He was under me and it was like I was in control. He's almost twice my size, and yet every small movement I made him gasp for air. I had the power, and I loved every minute of it."

Of course they knew what it was like; they had all done it before. Her friends, all allowed to live a normal life in the modern world; but not her. She had been cursed to live a life of secrets and lies, hidden behind barriers of magic and deceit. For three years now she had been traveling between her world and the world of the past, trying to fix a mistake made so long ago, trying to bring an end to the threatening darkness. But in all that time, never had she been given the chance to find anything for herself, always was she fighting for someone else's happiness.

But all that was going to change. No more would Kagome Higurashi be the pathetic little virgin girl who knew nothing of the pleasures of the flesh or of the touch of a man. No more was she going to be the one who had nothing to add to the heated talks of her girl's night outings with her friends. No more would she be shy or intimidated by the sight of bare skin, or be uncomfortable with even the mention of the 'secret' words.

She was 18 years old, and her body was that of a woman, as were her desires. She was going to find out what all the fuss was about. She was going to discover the pleasure and the feeling. She was going to end the curse of her virginity, and she was going to do it…today.

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Oh man groans I think it's a curse. You write one lemon and then you just can't keep your mind out of the gutter. I don't even know where this idea came from, but it was just…there. So, anyways, this will just be a short little ficlet with basically no plot and no point other than to appease the inner hentai. I suppose it will be humorous…at least that's the plan at the moment, but who knows what tomorrow will bring? Hmmmm…though given how short this chapter was, I might post the next one tonight if I can finish writing it.

Well then, later

Shadow

**Warning:** This story is not for anyone below the age of 16 or who is troubled by sexual situations. It is rated 'M' for a reason people, and this Shadow would suggest that you leave your morals at the door because you are definitely not going to need then while reading this. You have been warned. Now, on with the fun ;P

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or have any claims over anything but for my terribly twisted imagination that so enjoys torturing these wonderful characters.


	2. Chapter 2

Kagome finished her shower, pulling away from the soothing heat and pushing aside her distracted thoughts which threatened to keep the heat burning for much longer, only not simply on her skin. She smoothed lotion over her freshly shaven legs, smiling in satisfaction at how completely smooth they were. Then she got out her new bottle of perfume, misting it into the hot air of the room and allowing it to wash over her, floating down to rest upon her skin to leave her smelling like a field of lilies in the summer sun. Her hair and teeth were brushed with extra care, and even her eyebrows were given some special attention before she applied her makeup delicately. Finally, once confident she had done all she could for the moment, she pulled her fluffy towel tightly around herself and moved to her bedroom.

Once in her room, she set about choosing her outfit. She wanted to be perfect, beautiful, but above all, sexy. The skirt she chose came to rest just above her knees, but the light material and the pale pastel pink made the garment almost transparent, and the flowing folds gathered so tightly around her waist still fanned easily. One short burst of the spring breeze, and everyone in a block's radius would catch a glimpse of her undergarments…that is, of course, if she was wearing any…which she wasn't.

Kagome smiled deviously to herself as she pulled the skirt into place. As far as she was concerned, there was no way any normal guy would be able to refuse such an open invitation. Besides, her legs were so smooth that they were just begging to be touched. But the smoothness didn't just end with her legs. Oh no, for this day she had gone all out. Nothing would stand in the way of her discoveries, nothing.

She secured her bra into place, pausing to look into her mirror at the lacy piece of cloth that covered absolutely nothing and was designed for no other purpose but to drive men wild. Her breasts filled out the 'C' cup so completely that she might have been better going for the next size, but this was no thing of comfort, this was for seduction. And as it was, the underwire of the bra cradling her bounteous breasts so wonderfully that it lifted them high enough that they threatened to spill over the top of the restraints and a deep valley was formed between them, one which she made certain she knew how to deepen in invitation with a slight shifting of her arms.

Once satisfied with what she was seeing, Kagome reached for the white strappy top to complete the ensemble. The front of the shirt dipped so low in a sweeping 'V' that the outer layers of lace from her bra could be seen, and there was no back only a crossing of dozens of thin ties. But it had all been strategically planned this way, and she smiled again at the sight of herself.

She went over her mental checklist while looking over herself in the mirror, making sure everything was in order before she would step out into the world.

'Hair," her raven tresses flowed over her body in gentle waves, catching the rays of the morning's sun and shining slightly with cleanliness, 'Check.'

'Makeup,' lined with jet black, her doe-eyes seem even wider, and their light blue-grey stood out starkly against the pale pink of her eye shadow. Her lips too were painted pink, and on her cheeks she wore a natural blush that brought out her high cheekbones, 'Check.'

'Clothes,' she spun slightly in each direction, blushing prettily as she caught a glimpse of what was…or more specifically wasn't…under her skirt, and nodded in approval at the way her delicate waist was given so much definition by the way her strappy shirt clung to her curves and the highly enticing amount of skin showing on her back and shoulders, 'Check.'

'Boobs,' one look down and a quick adjustment to make sure she really couldn't see her feet (her friends really hated that, but being it was the only asset she really had to lean on, she was more than happy to make them work for her), and a slight bounce in front of the mirror to make sure that things would actually stay in place…until she wanted them to be out of place, that is; and Kagome was once again nodding in satisfaction, 'Check.'

'Well, I guess that's it. Now all I have to do is wait.'

She would not be waiting long though. Only minutes later she heard her mother's voice calling her downstairs. Her date was waiting, but, of course, he would have to wait a few minutes longer. Beauty can not be rushed, after all. And even though she was just dying to get this whole thing over with, Kagome forced herself to take some deep breaths, and then set about stuffing her little purse with what essentials she would need: namely, lip chap, breath mints, and condoms.

Hey, she may have been going out to get laid, but though it was her first time she wasn't about to be stupid about it. So, she missed almost all of her health classes, she had still read the text books and written the tests, and there was no way she was about to expose herself to…well…any of that stuff. Not to mention the whole baby issue. Yeah, thanks, but no thanks, really.

After a good five minutes had passed, Kagome finally made her way out of her room, taking to the stairs slowly, her skirt held firmly in one hand. It just wouldn't do for her mother to notice her lacking attention to details in this particular ensemble before she managed to make use of that lack. She reached the bottom of the stairs, only to find Hojo waiting expectantly for her. Like always he was boyishly handsome, his sweet smile lighting up the room and his brown eyes filled with such warmth as he looked upon her.

Kagome smiled timidly as she approached him, her cheeks staining an even deeper shade of pink as she watched his eyes widen and his lips part slightly as he took in her outfit. But she refused to allow embarrassment to get the better of her, and she resolutely pushed it aside, stepping over to him and wrapping her arms around his neck to draw him into a friendly hug…which also happened to press her chest against him in a most provocative way.

"It's so good to see you, Hojo," she purred into his ear. "I've been looking forward to today for a long time."

"Ka…Kagome?" Hojo tripped over his words as he tried to disentangle the girl from his body. "What are you doing?" he asked of her once he was holding her at arm's length.

"I was just giving my date a proper greeting," she replied as she slipped her hand to trace down his chest, letting her fingers brush across the waistline of his pants when they had traveled low enough.

"Kagome," Hojo took hold of her hand, making her look up to him curiously. "Why are you acting like this?"

"Like what?" she asked innocently, "Aren't I allowed to act like a normal girl?"

"That's not what I mean, Kagome," he told her quietly. "You shouldn't tease like this when you know that you can't be physically intimate until you have recovered from the complications of your Chlamydia infection."

"MY WHAT??!!"

Kagome reeled back from Hojo, her thoughts of pleasant things completely ruined. Her fists balled at her sides in rage and her face heated with embarrassment so acute that she swore her brain would cook. But amid her heated anger and her even hotter embarrassment, she managed to lift her finger to point towards the door.

"Get. Out." She ground out through clenched teeth. When Hojo showed no sign of moving from her front hall, she put her hands on his chest and shoved him roughly towards the door. "GET OUT!" she screamed at him again.

This time, he finally took the hint, and made his hasty departure. But Kagome's anger was far from appeased.

"GRANDPA!!!"

"Yes, Kagome, dear?" The elderly man came around the corner from the kitchen, but stopped abruptly when he saw the absolute fury burning all around the form of his eldest grandchild. "Is something the matter?"

"Chlamydia?" Kagome questioned him in a dark voice, "You told my friends I had Chlamydia?!"

"Uhhh…" the old man brought his hand up to scratch his head nervously as he tried to remember the last 'illness' he had created for his granddaughter. "Oh, yes," he finally recalled, "I had a Chlamydia eye infection last month, so I told your school that you were suffering complications from a similar infection."

"Grandpa!" Kagome whined in exacerbation. "Chlamydia is an STD!"

"A…what now?"

"AARRRGG!!!"

Kagome threw her hands in the air in frustration before turning away from her grandfather. She knew he meant well, but this time he had just gone way, way, WAY too far. Without another word, Kagome marched her way back upstairs. But all her preparation would not go to waste, she promised herself. She was going to get some, and it WAS going to happen today if it killed her! So, after slamming her bedroom door shut to work off some of her frustrations, she set about making her plans for the next male on her list. After all, who said her fist lay had to be human?

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Lol, this is kinda fun. I'm so used to making Kagome so shy that it's almost a treat to make her act like a sex-crazed female on the prowl. Hmmm…I wonder what's going to come next?

Well, till then, I guess.

TaTa

Shadow


	3. Chapter 3

Ahhh, the feudal era. How Kagome loved this place; so full of magic and mystery, and not to mention some seriously sexy youkai males. And, since she had promised herself she was getting some on this day come hell or high water and she was certain that at least one of her male friends would be more than happy to comply with her wishes, she allowed herself a wicked smile as she stepped away from the old well.

She made her way into the surrounding forest cautiously. No, she wasn't trying to avoid dangerous roots or shrubs or burrows, or even vile creatures on the prowl for human flesh; she was trying to control her aura as best as her untrained miko powers would allow her so that one loud-mouthed, too-nosey-for-his-own-good, over-protective, rash, and lets not forget ruggedly handsome hanyou wouldn't be able to tell that she had returned.

Don't get this wrong, Kagome would have been more than happy to have her first time with the hanyou boy she cared so much for, but, let's face it, the guy came with some seriously heavy baggage, and lots of it. Besides, she wasn't all that sure if he even knew what to do with his equipment being that he would always manage to blush ten shades of red more than her whenever they made any sort of intimate contact. And the LAST thing she needed was to be caught up in a tangled mess of uncertain limbs and awkward motions. It was going to be her first time, after all, and she didn't want to remember it as something that she never wanted to repeat. Then again, he was part dog demon, and those instincts of his had to serve some greater purpose, right? Well, anyways, he hadn't been taken off the 'list' just yet, only bumped down a few places.

Right, back to Kagome and her mission. She slipped through the tangle to trees in Inuyasha's forest carefully, only allowing herself to break into a light jog once she was certain she was far away enough from the hanyou's keen nose and she didn't need her concentration focused so much. She kept her pace somewhat slow…being that every time her legs moved she was graced with the wonderful feeling of the light spring breeze brushing against the very exposed skin of her inner thighs which were heated from her exercise, and the light brushing was doing nothing good for her current state of carnal need. But still she pressed on. She had a mission, and she wasn't about to be deterred.

Her senses were on high alert, sweeping out across the land to locate the one she was seeking. And she thanked the heavens when she realized how close he actually was. Things were finally starting to go her way. So, with new-found determination and a rush of heated expectation, Kagome quickened her pace towards the youkai she sought.

She slowed when she came close enough to pick out his aura clearly. Admittedly, it was very strange that he had yet to come to greet her, but since her mind was focused solely on one thing which had very little to do with rational though, she shrugged it off and moved towards him. The invisible trail leading her took her into another thick tangle of trees, but with the afternoon sun shining brightly above her, even the thick canopy of leaves could not hide away the light.

When she finally stepped clear of the tangle of trees, she realized why he hadn't come to her. All around her in the clearing rose up the thick steam from the hot water of a natural spring. They hung heavily on the air, the scent of their therapeutic salts clinging to everything. She smiled to herself, thinking that no place could be better in the way of romantic settings than the heated mists and soothing waters of a hot spring, and then she started moving forward again.

When she finally caught sight of him, she had to force her body to not release the pressure she felt coiling tightly in her abdomen in what would have definitely been a terribly embarrassing testament to her inexperience in such matters. But the sight he was gracing her with was incredible.

He stood before her completely bare, his long, dark hair allowed to fall free and settle so softly against his broad shoulders and the rippling muscles of his back. She could see the way the mist had come to settle on his flawlessly tanned skin, making the sculpted muscles of his form stand out all the more. His back was turned to her, so she could not see that item which she would soon be acquainting herself in studious detail, but still, she was not one to deny a vision of beauty such as this. He was most certainly not human. No human male could have a form so solid, a body of such exquisite detail, and a stance so firm that it conveyed his place with the wilds of nature.

"Kouga," She called his name softly, her voice thick with desire.

The wolf stiffened when he heard the woman's voice from behind him, and slowly, guardedly, he turned to face her. When he saw that it was Kagome, his eyes flew wide in shock. But when he saw her smile at him and her beautiful blue eyes darken with lust as she openly allowed her sight to travel down the length of his body, his shock turned into outright disbelief.

"Kagome?" he asked in bewilderment, "Is that really you?"

"Of course it's me, silly," she replied with a light laugh as she stepped towards him. "I was looking for you."

"Ummm…right…" Koga was officially at a loss for words. Here she was, the woman that he had so loudly and proudly proclaimed as his, standing before him, advancing on him, and ogling his body at though it were a piece of meat, and he couldn't find the words, or the actions for that matter, that would be appropriate for such a situation.

Kagome could see the confusion in the eyes of the wolf prince, and she laughed lightly again. She supposed that she understood why he would be confused for her to be the one to seek him out after so vehemently telling him that she is not and never would be 'his woman', but she really had an itch that needed to be scratched, and he was, after all, a wolf, and she was pretty sure that his claws would be perfect for the job.

She stepped in front of him, lifting her hand from her side to catch a lock of his hair that had fallen over his shoulder to twirl it between her fingers playfully.

"You have such wonderful hair," she told him as she allowed her other hand to come up and rest against his muscular chest, rubbing against it softly and suggestively. "I would be happy to help you wash it." Her eyes lifted to his, clouded with lust, they seemed endless oceans of the deepest blue. "Would you bathe with me, Kouga?"

The wolf stared down at the little miko in complete disbelief. No words would come to him, but he would be saved from his response when Ginta strolled out of the mist, his arms filled with bottles of soap and scented oils, and came to a dead stop upon seeing the little miko pressing up against his alpha so provocatively. His mouth dropped open in horror, and his arms fell limply to his side, their contents being strewn on the ground without notice.

"K...Kouga?" he questioned weakly, "What...what's going on?"

Kouga's head snapped quickly in the direction of the other wolf, his eyes wide with innocence as he tried to explain. "It's not what it looks like, Ginta! She came to me!"

"Oh. My. God." Kagome's brain finally started processing what she was seeing and hearing. She took a step back from the wolf prince and lifted her accusing eyes to him. "You're gay!" she screamed in outrage. "All this time of saying how I was 'your woman' and saying that I would be your mate, and you're gay! You jerk! Why the hell would you lie to me like that? I came all the way out here just to…just to…and you're gay!"

"Kagome, please," Kouga reached forward to try and grasp her hands as he had so often in the past, but she jerked back from him.

"You should have just told me," she hissed in annoyance now that plan number two for the 'Get Kagome Laid' agenda was flushed down the toilet, "I wouldn't have cared!"

"Really?"

"Of course, you baka! Where I come from it's almost considered normal! AARRGGG!!!!" her hands shot up in the air again as she desperately tried to gain a hold of her quickly slipping sanity.

Really, who'd have guessed the wolf prince was gay? Then again, it would explain why he liked fighting with Inuyasha so much…Well, lets not think about that right now. Kagome had some serious problems, and if they didn't get addressed soon, she might have ended up humping a tree for all the use the males in her life were proving to be.

"I'm going now," she managed to bite out before her anger and embarrassment at her whole situation and her impossibly bad luck could get the better of her. "You two enjoy your bath."

And with that, Kagome spun on her heel and headed away from the mists of the spring. She kept her head high as she left. Just because she felt as though she was about two inches tall after trying to seduce someone who was so completely out of her category and been caught in the act by said male's partner, didn't mean she couldn't at least pretend that she still had some self-respect.

So, she left the males to do whatever they had planed to do. Of course, in her current state of mind, the thought about what exactly the two males were doing adamantly refused to leave her, and in only minutes had her whole body flushed with the worst kind of unquenchable heat as the images of slick, muscled bodies continued to dance through her mind. But the little miko was determined, and her list had yet to run out of candidates. So, she set her course anew, and began working out yet another plan.

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HaHa! This is fun, and I'm having a blast making Kagome into a sex-crazed lunatic. So, what? If I wanted to write something serious I would be writing the next chapter of 'Tears' (which, by the way, will be a doozey once I manage to get it out….kukukuku….but I'm writing this story first because I have an itch that needs to be scratched!)

But, thanks go out to everyone who is supporting my wild streak. You all get cookies :)

Well, till next time

I'll be seeing ya.

Shadow


	4. Chapter 4

Perfect. He was there, just outside of the village, meditating peacefully in the bright rays of the late afternoon sun. No one was around, giving Kagome the perfect opportunity to get everything that she wanted. This time nothing was going to stand in her way of her discoveries, and she was all but certain that this candidate would not only be more than happy to comply to her wishes, but that his experienced hand would be able to guide her well.

Kagome smiled to herself as she began approaching the male. Her aura was suppressed so that he could not detect her approach, but, more importantly, so that the pesky hanyou that she was avoiding at all costs wouldn't be able to throw a giant wrench into her plans. As she walked towards him, she allowed herself to look over her newest prospect. His eyes were closed, keeping from her the view of the beautiful violet hues, but his strong jaw line, his wonderfully full lips which pulled down in the sweetest natural pout, and his gracefully curving brows gave him such a look of wisdom and yet still allowed him the ability to seem completely innocent. Of course, he was no innocent, no matter how much he liked to play the part. And Kagome had always had an acute fondness of his earring; it gave him an image of mystery and danger which she found so very tempting.

And now she would be allowed to follow that temptation, now she would finally be given a glimpse of what lay concealed beneath the many layers of cloth he was always wrapped in. All of the great distances they had journeyed together and all of the battles they had fought would certainly have molded the monk's body into one that she could appreciate fully, and Kagome's excitement to finally be given the chance to discover it soared as she stepped in front of him, and with her excitement also rose her lustful fever.

"Miroku," she called his name sweetly, stirring him from his meditations with a startled jerk.

"Lady Kagome?" When he realized it was her, he graced her with a wide smile. Of course, being Miroku, though his smile was innocent, his eyes were far from it as he took in the sight of the vision of loveliness standing before him. Kagome was looking positively ravishing today, and the monk swore he could see straight though her light skirt as the bright rays of the sun fell upon the light pink fabric. "Is there something I can help you with?"

"Actually," Kagome's eyes glinted with anticipation as she bent down and offered the monk her hand to help him to his feet. The movement had, completely purposefully, given the seated monk a perfect view down the deep valley formed between her breasts, and she watched raptly as his eyes were drawn to the area like a magnet. She broke him from his stare, after all he would be seeing plenty of that soon enough, by speaking again. "I was hoping you would help me gather some herbs in the forest."

"Of course, Lady Kagome," the monk replied slightly dazedly. He was surprised he was actually able to form words given the fact that his mouth was so filled with drool after the sight he had been granted. He shook his head slightly in an attempt to clear his thoughts. This was Kagome, after all, and she was so sweet and innocent that he didn't even think she knew what she was doing to him with her revealing outfit. He reached out and accepted her offer of help, but he was beyond shocked when the little miko did not release his hand and instead smiled radiantly, turned, and began pulling him after her, their hands still entwined. Still, Miroku was not one to ignore such a blessing, and he plastered his best innocent smile on his lips as he allowed her to pull him along, the whole while fighting off the exotic images that were playing through his mind of the little miko.

"Isn't this nice, Miroku?" Kagome asked as they strolled together through the trees, the afternoon sun shining down in light streamers through the branches above them. They had walked for several minutes through the bush in their supposed 'herb gathering', but Kagome was using the time to distance them from Inuyasha and his annoyingly keen nose and to fawn over the monk like the little school girl that she was. She had opted for wrapping her arm around his a while ago, pulling her body close to his so that with every step she took her chest would brush up against his arm, which, thanks to the dedicated motions of her exploring hands, had been left bare to her ministrations after she had managed to make his robe fold up and stay put out of the way of what she wanted: flesh on flesh contact.

"Yes, Lady Kagome, it is very nice."

Kagome could tell by the slight waver in his voice that he was nervous, but she couldn't for the life of her figure out why. The monk was the most perverted and sex-crazed person that she knew, surely he had caught on long ago what she was trying to do. She was becoming terribly frustrated with his lacking advances, he had yet to even make an attempt at fondling her backside, an act which would have usually earned him a hard slap but which today would have been taken greedily by the lustful little miko.

Still, despite the monk's curious hesitation, Kagome wasn't about to be deterred. She quickly decided that her little seduction needed to be stepped up a notch, and a conveniently placed tree root protruding from the ground in the path ahead presented the perfect opportunity. So, with careful manipulation of her steps and her most distraught sounding damsel in distress scream, she allowed her body to begin to take the fall and waited for the monk to play the hero she knew he would be and catch her in her fall.

She would not be disappointed. The monk quickly wrapped his strong arms around her delicate waist, catching her before she would fall to the ground and bringing her close to his body to steady her. Kagome blushed prettily as she whispered her thanks to him, but rather than making any attempt to disentangle herself from the monk's arms or to stop the lecherous streak that held the man standing with her from getting the better of him, she smiled gleefully behind her eyes as she felt his hand come to rest on the tight curve of her backside. Kagome moaned in pleasure when she felt his hand take a firm hold of her, and she pressed the lush curves of her body firmly against the solid plane of the monk's chest.

For Miroku though, he had no idea what to do next. Sure, he talked big and he did have some rather in depth knowledge of the female anatomy, but for goodness sakes, this was Kagome! She was supposed to be slapping him silly for making a grab at her firm, sculpted, delicious, ass; not moaning in pleasure and giving herself over to him. And then there was the fact that he couldn't feel her undergarments under the thin layer of cloth, a point that he took as a definite sign that the miko's innocent little request was far, FAR from as innocent as he had first believed.

"Miroku."

She called his name in a voice so deep and so filled with wanton lust that his breath caught in his throat as he looked down into the deep blue oceans of her lust-fogged eyes. The monk found that he could do nothing but watch in complete disbelief as she slipped her hands up his chest to wrap around his neck so that she could pull herself to his height. But when her sweet lips, so full and inviting, touched to his in a feathery light kiss, any control he had over himself was lost.

His left arm tightened around the little miko's waist, pulling her tightly against him, as his mouth pressed hard down onto hers. She moaned in bliss and parted her moist lips to invite him in, and he took to her mouth greedily, sweeping out his tongue to taste her sweet spices. Her hands began massaging down his back and his arms, pulling at him to take more of her, finding their way into the folds of his robe and pressing against his heated skin; and in response his right hand moved down the tight curve of her backside, pulling her left leg up roughly to wrap around his waist and drawing her closer.

Kagome was in heaven. His mouth was so hot, so eager to taste her, to explore the wet cavern of her mouth. His kisses were hungry, but wonderfully gentle as every so often he would pull back slightly for them to catch their breath and suck lightly on the swelling curve of her lips or sweep his tongue across them to clear away the building moisture of their contact. She could feel his hand traveling down the smooth skin of her thigh, the rough calluses formed from so long holding a weapon only serving to heighten her awareness of how absolutely male this being with her was.

The heat coiled tightly within her, burning through her entire body, filling her with an exhilaration she had never known before. But still she wanted, still she needed. Her hands tangled their way into his robes, finding a firm grip and allowing her to shift her body against his. She pressed against him forcefully with their hips, grinding against him, looking for the pressure that would help to relieve her of the tension and throbbing building between her legs, and thinking to provide the same service to him.

Imagine her surprise when she could feel no throbbing, heated length pressing against her wanting core as she pressed against him.

Kagome paused curiously for a moment. She was certain that her friends had told her that when you pressed your hips up against a guy that you were making out with that you could easily feel their arousal pressing back. Maybe she had missed? She supposed it wasn't very likely, but then again, she hadn't really done any of this before. And though she wasn't an expert by any means about the actions she was going through, she was well versed in the male anatomy. All those sex-ed classes couldn't have been completely for naught, right?

So, thinking it would just be best to find the object of her immediate confusion before she managed to produce any awkward situations for herself in her inexperience, Kagome allowed one of her hands to drift down the monk's back, taking her time to track the clenching muscles of his fabulous ass, before twisting her hand to curve around his thigh and slide upwards along his body until she found the sexy line of the ligament running from his hip to guide her hand to the treasure she sought.

Her fingers trailed across the rough fabric of his robes hesitantly and uncertainly, but she had purpose and drive, and now that she was so close she would be damned to let her hesitations stop her. Finally, she found the courage to move her hand the last few inches and bring within her grasp the thick, engorged, heated length of his manhood…or at least what should have been the thick, engorged, heated length of his manhood. Unfortunately, as Kagome was most terribly displeased to discover, despite the monk's obvious acceptance of her advance and the heated quality of his kisses and his touch, what his mind was telling him to do was not being completely sanctioned by his body. Actually, the specific part of his body that she was most hoping to bring a response to, lay all but dead in its flaccid state even as her wanting hand wrapped around it.

Kagome groaned deeply in frustration and annoyance, pulling her flushed body away from the monk.

"Kagome…" he started nervously in embarrassment, but she cut him off.

"Don't," her hand rose before her in a gesture of such force that the monk's words died on his lips. "Of all the people in the world to suffer from ED, I never would have expected you to be one of them." She sighed heavily, but even through her extreme disappointment she managed to come to the realization that the monk's lecherous behavior was likely due to his obvious inability to act upon his forwardness since no girl in their right mind would partake in his brand of debauchery (remember, I said in their right mind, and by this point Kagome was teetering on the edge of insanity thanks to her incomprehensible bad luck in all things sexual).

"Next time I go home," she told him as she fixed her rumpled clothing and disheveled hair, "I'll remember to tell my grandfather to pick up some Viagra for you. That should help you in the future."

"You mean that we'll be able to…"

"No." She cut him off again. "This was your one and only chance with me, monk," she informed him with authority. "But they should help you with other…endeavors."

With that, Kagome turned away from the disheveled monk and began trekking back through the forest. Her body was still burning from his touch, and the throbbing between her legs was nearly unbearable. She needed to find her release, and she needed to find it very, very soon….especially since every tree she passed by seemed to remind her of all things hard…one particular object being of her immediate fascination….and there were many, many trees in the forest. She groaned again in frustration. When was she going to be cut some slack? All she wanted was a little piece of ass, that wasn't all that much to ask for, was it?

As she walked, she took notice of the reddening of the sky. Sunset would be coming within the next hour or so, and that left her very little time to complete her mission. With this realization, the little miko nearly screamed out her aggravation to the world, but then she thought better of it. Oh, she planned on screaming, screaming was a fantastic way to relieve stress; but it wouldn't be in aggravation or frustration. No, she needed to bring her last hope for release to her, and the only kind of scream that would do that was one of complete horror.

So, with a deep breath, Kagome lifted her voice into the sky in a shrill scream of terror; and then she walked over to a nearby stream, sat on a rock on its banks and waited for him to come to her.

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So close! Awww, poor Kagome. Is she ever going to get what she wants? Wait. What am I saying? Of course she will! This is my story after all, and I wouldn't let poor Kags die of her sexual frustrations…well…I might not anyways ;P

Later

Shadow


	5. Chapter 5

As she had expected, in only moments she could feel him coming towards her. Kagome sighed. She had really, REALLY hoped that things wouldn't have to come to this. She wanted to be able to address her little problem without involving the hanyou, but, as things would have it, he was her last best hope. And since she was pretty certain if she didn't manage to get laid on this day that her body would explode with the wanting desire that was all but setting fire to her blood, she had no choice in this matter.

Besides, Inuyasha was her ruggedly handsome hero, her best friend, and had even been the main player in many, many of her less than innocent fantasies; so she figured that it was about time that she found out if he really could live up to the expectations of her over-active imagination. But even if he couldn't, at that precise moment in time, Kagome would have been happy if he could just get a hard-on and point it in her direction and she would have been more than happy to do all the work. She really, REALLY had some steam to work off, and what could be better than the wild, mad, passionate monkey dance of the horizontal tango to burn off her unwanted energy?

The sun had already descended to the horizon, covering the land with a red haze as the sky ignited with the ethereal fires. Kagome's smile was nearly wicked as she stood and waited for the approaching hanyou. All around her there was the vision of red, but the fire burning within her had long ago taken away her ability to see any other color. It was lust that burned in her eyes, flowing through her veins in waves of molten heat. She had been denied what she needed for far too long, but now the time had finally come for her desires to be fulfilled.

"KAGOME!!"

His voice ringing out in the distance caused a shiver of pure delight to course through her body. She was so close, so close to finally, finally being given what she needed. She could feel the hot liquid dripping from her core and sliding in burning paths down the inside of her thighs, and a soft moan of anticipation left her lips. Her whole body ached with need, and the thought that her thirst may at last be quenched was nearly enough to bring her to release. Oh, but she would not allow herself to go so easily. She would know the feeling that could only be given to her by another, she would discover the sensations of having her body wrapped around the thick, pulsing member of a male, she would be given the opportunity to watch as he too was given pleasure in the way her muscles clenched and rippled around him.

She moaned again. She really needed to stop thinking about what was coming or the evidence of her need would not only be available in her scent to the adorable little puppy that was coming towards her, but as a horribly embarrassing puddle on the ground at her feet. Kagome forced herself to take some long, deep breaths to try and calm the fires running through her veins, and though the effort had very little effect to cool her body, at least it managed to clear her vision enough so that she was able to see him when he dropped down from the branches of the trees to land by the river in front of her.

His ears were twitching frantically, searching out the sound of threats, and his noose too twitched and wrinkled as he took in the scents of the area. However, when he took in the scent of the little miko, though he had been searching for any sign of injury, his amber eyes shot wide in surprise when the thick scent of her heavy arousal hit him hard…literally. In less than a second he felt a terrible confinement in his pants as his member stood at attention for the woman's so completely obvious need for him.

"Inuyasha," she called his name, the word a soft whimper of need flowing from her lips, and stepped towards him.

"Kagome?" he asked in confusion over her actions as he took a small, uncertain step back from her advance, "Are you alright?"

"I will be," she told him with a timid smile as she stepped closer to him again, her hands lifting to rest on his chest. "I need you, Inuyasha," she purred as she leaned against him. "Give me my release."

Without waiting for his response, Kagome slipped her hands through the folds of his clothing, pushing it away determinedly to reveal the expanse of his muscular chest. She ran her fingers lightly across his well-defined muscles, sighing in pleasure to feel the harness and heat of his body. She leaned into him, bringing her lips to his skin, trailing hot kisses across his chest as her hands continued to explore his body and to loosen his clothing to reveal more of his heated skin.

She moaned deeply in ecstasy when she felt his hands come up and tangle in her hair, pressing her against him more firmly as she continued to press her heated kisses upon his skin. She could feel him pressing against the softness of her belly, feel the hardened length of his generous package pushing against her in slight, unconscious motions of carnal need, and she moaned again in complete bliss.

She had finally found a male that could give her what she needed. Finally she would be able to quench the fire raging through her.

The feeling of one of his hands disentangled from her hair and starting to roam along the gentle curves of her body, across her shoulders, down her back, and finally settling around her waist, grasping her firmly and giving a strong pull to bring her body flush with his had her moaning in pure pleasure. She could feel his body shift as he leaned into her, and she gasped when his hot lips came in contact with the sensitive skin of her shoulder and began making their way up her neck. She closed her eyes to give herself over to the sensation, to feel every motion, every tiny shift of his body against her, every tensed muscle and heated kiss upon equally hot flesh.

Her heart was beating wildly in her chest, and her breaths were coming out in shortened draws of exhilaration; but when she felt him pull away from her neck ever so slightly, and the muscles of his arms tense, she stilled in anticipation. This was it, she thought, he was going to lay her down and give her everything that she desired. It was really happening. A small, happy smile pulled on her lips as she too pulled away from her gentle caresses and looked up to find the captivating amber of his eyes.

But when she looked up at him, he wasn't even looking at her. His sight was trained into the trees of the forest behind her. Kagome hoped for all that she was worth that he was seeing some sort of vile demon ready to attack. Hell, she'd have been happy to even see Naraku at that moment. But, as her luck would have it no other way, the hanyou managed to drop her heart into her stomach and make her body burn in outrageous protest with only one word.

"Kikyo."

Before she knew it, Kagome had been robed of the warm body that had been entangled with hers, and was left standing alone in the clearing by the little stream. An angry, frustrated, and nearly hysterical scream was wrenched out of her petite body, lifting into the heavens to tell everyone for miles how completely exasperated she really was; and all around her, her aura surged up in a brilliant wave of pure power, sweeping across the land with astonishing speed and energy with her lapse in control.

Kagome panted heavily as she tried to regain her control over her powers and still her tortured scream, but still her anger and frustration would not relent, and again she lifted her voice to roar into the sky.

"All I want is a good fuck!!" she screamed. "Isn't there anyone out there that can give me that one simple thing??!!

She closed her eyes tightly to fight away her threatening tears as she listened to her words dying on the breeze. But even as the young miko resigned herself to the fact that she really wasn't going to get what she so desired, there was one who heard her words and felt her power in the air and who just couldn't resist the temptation of discovering their source.

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LOL poor Kagome. I think she might be better off in investing in a do-it-youselfer and a whole wack of batteries ;P Or would she? Kukukukuku!

You know, I wrote this chapter after the next one. But I just couldn't help it! I had this great inspiration and it whispered in my ear that it needed to be written, the rest of the story be damned. So, anyways, lucky readers get two chapters in one shot!

Shadow


	6. Chapter 6

Kagome sat on a large rock by the edge of the river consumed by her anger and frustrations over her complete lack of success in completing even the most basic and primal of tasks. It was so completely embarrassing! Here she had all but thrown herself at every male friend she had, and what did she have to show for it? Nothing! She was still the same pathetic virgin girl, only now she would have to face her male friends again with the knowledge that even if she desperately needed a good lay that none of them were capable of giving it to her.

She sighed, a long, dragging release of air, as she settled her head in her hands and prepared to cry out the last of her frustrations. The day had turned into night, and she had failed in her mission horribly. After all, there wasn't anyone left that she knew of that would be able to help her with her little problem, and though she was desperate, she wasn't about to offer her services to the nearest tea house. She wanted a lay, not to turn herself into a hooker. But before she had even completed her long sigh of frustration, a sharp tingling at the base of her skull told her that she was no longer alone in her brooding.

A low growl of complete and utter annoyance left her as she lifted her head to face the youkai. After all, it would be just her luck if that vile hanyou Naraku had somehow discovered what she had been up to and decided to come and partake of her 'service'. Yeah right, like that was ever going to happen. She'd purify the dick right off that cocky bastard before it ever came near to her. Her eyes darkened and a slow, dangerous smirk worked its way onto her lips as she lifted her head. Now that she thought about it, a good fight might have been good for her.

But when her eyes finally were able to see the youkai that had interrupted her disgruntled brooding, she realized that not only would she have no luck at all with trying to pick a fight with him, but that her feminine problems were now front and centre all over again.

There he was, in all his glory. His tall, graceful form radiated the majesty of an ethereal being. His hair, light as threads of spun silver danced in the slight breeze of the night, and reflected the moonlight with every motion creating the illusion of luminescence upon his entire form. Obvious protrusions of finely shaped muscle, seen even trough the many folds of his flowing silk robes and his heavy armor, gave only the slightest hint of the power which lay beneath the surface.

He was the epitome of beauty and magnificence. Upon his fair porcelain skin streaked lines of crimson, resembling fresh blood fallen upon a field of snow, and promising death to any who came close enough to view the incredible visage; and his eyes, though locked on her own in a hard, cold glare of suspicion and contempt, were still the most incredible mixture of amber and gold she had ever seen. She could feel the power emanating from him, but he carried it so lightly and gracefully that it made her heart skip a beat. She almost had to shake herself to remember who it was that she was looking at. This was a demon, one that would not hesitate to strike out against her should he find cause, and one that would feel no regret or remorse for his actions.

Kagome groaned again in frustration, but that didn't stop her from spouting the first thing that came into her head out loud. "Sesshomaru, if you're going to kill me, would you mind fucking me into oblivion? Because I would really, really hate to die a virgin."

"Miko," his voice was cold and measured and thick with unyielding ice, "Your attempt at humor is hardly amusing."

"Does it look like I'm joking?" She hissed in fury as she brought herself to her feet, spreading her arms wide to give him a fuller appreciation of everything she had gone through for this day. "Look at me! I'm shaved and plucked and brushed and scented and wearing the most uncomfortable clothing that man has ever invented, all in an attempt to end my sorry excuse of a love life. All I wanted was to be able to understand what my friends were talking about when they would go on and on about the wonders of sex and how good it felt. I wanted to finally find a way to stop my body's protests that I've been ignoring it for far too long. I wanted something for me after all this time of hunting shards and being in battles and risking my life for a world that existed before I was even born! I don't care if I'm being selfish! I just…need!"

Strangely enough, Sesshomaru actually listened to her demand for his attention, and allowed his sight to travel over her body. The woman had been correct in at least one thing, she was certainly dressed for the act she was hoping to partake in. Her skirt, which though longer than her usual heavy layer of green fabric, was so thin he could clearly see through the material where her legs parted slightly just following the full curve of her inner thighs. And, since he was one to observe every detail, he also took note of the fact that there was no undergarment hindering the smooth flow of the dress over her hips and even the small mound of tender flesh rising above her womanhood could bee seen as the thin layers of material fell down from her waist.

Her shirt as well seemed to call attention to her, not only in its obvious lacking of material and the way it so invitingly parted down the centre to reveal the tightly bound breasts cradled so magnificently in the lace cloth underneath, but also with the straps crossing at such regular intervals across both her shoulders and back which seemed to beg to be released so that her body would be revealed.

He even took notice that her usually clean scent had been shifted slightly to accommodate a light layer of floral scent, like a field of summer lilies in the heat of the midday sun. But what was more, he could smell the lingering traces of her denied release. Her body had been heated so acutely, and yet, despite her obvious arousal and her determination to see her desires satiated, she had been denied. That knowledge stayed with him, refusing to leave as it found its way deep into the most primal places of his mind.

Her eyes were locked on to him when he finally brought his gaze up to meet hers, and though they were hard with anger, they shined with light moisture that made them seem more like precious gems under the soft light of the moon and stars. Her cheeks were flushed a light pink in her fury, but the dainty blush surfacing on her skin only heightened the beauty of this woman. And he could not deny that she was beautiful. He was not one to lie to himself. And though she was human, he could also feel the restless air around her as, in her anger; her pure powers were stirring in uneasy waves of crackling energy.

She was a miko, and a powerful one at that. True, she had never managed to land a blow on him, but she had been close, much closer than any female had ever been. Her powers were untrained and wild, this he knew, but that knowledge only gave her more of an edge, more allure in the way that it made her dangerous. And how he loved to face danger. So very few could ever truly bring him such a threat, but she could, and he knew it.

Finally, he allowed himself to respond to the miko's words. "It is not selfishness to abide by your instincts."

"Yeah, well, that's easy for you to say!" She replied as she threw her hands into the air above her. "Gods, look at you! Your name even means perfection! But all I have is me, and apparently that isn't going to get me anywhere! All the guys in my time won't touch me with a ten foot pole because they think that I'm riddled with the worst kinds of diseases because of my grandpa coming up with ridiculous things to excuse me from my studies when I come here, and every guy that I know here is either taken, gay, impotent, or a fucking necrophiliac! The only one I haven't bothered with is Naraku, but like hell I'd ever touch that vile thing!" She laughed bitterly, "Not even a condom would be able to keep me from being infected with whatever that monster has."

"A condom?"

"Uhhh, yeah." Though somewhere in her one-track mind, Kagome realized that this discussion with Sesshomaru most certainly belonged on the wall of weird, but, as mentioned, her mind was only on one track, so she wasn't bothered by it. She reached into her little handbag and produced one of the mentioned objects, flinging the little package at Sesshomaru who caught it easily. "It's a thin piece of man-made material that is worn by the male to prevent the exchange of bodily fluids," she explained. "It protects against transmission of sexually transmitted diseases as well as the threat of pregnancy. The material is unique; very thin so that sensation isn't disrupted, but at the same time very durable."

"Interesting." Sesshomaru looked at the package curiously. He had known that the miko's origins were unusual, but he would not have guessed that she was from the future. Her unstable state of mind was certainly proving useful since it was preventing her from thinking clearly enough to realize that such information would pose her a potential threat in his hands, but then again…He allowed his eyes to sweep over the miko once more…It wasn't like he was really complaining about the view. "Woman," he held out the package she had given him as he conveyed his order, "You will demonstrate how this item is applied for this Sesshomaru."

"What?" Ok, now she was confused. "And just how am I supposed to do that? What do you think, that I'm just going to whip out my own imaginary cock and put it on?"

Sesshomaru smirked at the girl wickedly. It was a sight that had Kagome wanting to back away from the intimidating youkai, but at the same time, it was a vision that caused her whole body to heat with wanton desire. Suddenly it hit her what Sesshomaru was asking of her. Her eyes widened in understanding and excitement, and she allowed herself to step forward to take the offered item from Sesshomaru.

"Ummm…" she started nervously as she fiddled the small package in her hands, not at all sure how to go about fulfilling Sesshomaru's request. After all, he had only said that she was to show him how to put the thing on, he hadn't really given her permission to do anything else. And though she was praying that he really was suggesting what she thought he was, she was also, very rudely and at the worst possible time, reminded that Sesshomaru had no real liking of humans and would likely stand by the belief that lying with one was of the lowliest low considering what had happened with his father and all. So, just to make sure that she hadn't been reading any of the signs she was getting wrong (she did want to wake up in the morning with her head on her shoulders), she clarified what she would be doing. "Just so you know, a condom can only be applied properly if you are…excited."

Her words were greeted by nothing more that a slight shrugging of his shoulders, which made it abundantly clear to her that he understood but was also not willing to provide even the slightest bit of assistance. Kagome gulped down the nervous lump in her throat, but since this was what she had wanted (well, more or less), she allowed her eyes to scan over his body as she debated how exactly she was going to go about his request.

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Kukuku, I know, I know, what a horribly evil place to leave off on. But I need time to write the lemon…not to mention to cool off a bit after writing the last two chapters. Whew! Fun as this is, I'm still not completely used to writing such lemonade.

Well, till next time

Shadow


	7. Chapter 7

Sesshomaru watched the girl fidgeting nervously in front of him as she tried to figure out how she was going to go about his request. She was determined, he would give her that. Despite her obvious lack of experience which was easily visible in both her widened eyes as they traveled over his body and in the dainty pink blush spreading quickly across her cheeks and down her neck; she still continued scanning over him tying to figure out how to unlock his armor so that she could actually reach her task. Sure, he could have told her the trick to it. Hell, he could have removed it himself. But he was having fun watching the little virgin girl squirm, and he hadn't done anything truly 'fun' in a very, very long time (because kicking the annoying toad that wouldn't stop following him around, though somewhat amusing, was hardly his idea of fun).

But this girl, the way her blush lit up her while face, the way her hands twitched in nervousness before her, and the way every time she made any slight shift of her petite form he would be hit with a new wave of her burning desire; oh, she was most definitely fun. And he planned on drawing out his fun a long as possible. He was a demon of renowned control after all, and he was just itching to see if the little miko would manage to find the way to make his control slip, if even for a second. There were ways, of course, that it could happen; and though he had yet to allow himself to feel any anticipation for an act that may ensue should she be able to accomplish such a thing, silently he was hoping that she could. After all, it had been a very long time since he had had…how did she put it? Ah, yes, a 'good fuck'; and, male that he was, he just couldn't avoid the sweet temptation of such a thing.

Still, that didn't mean that he was going to provide any help for the miko's current situation. He was, after all, the only one that seemed to be able to alleviate her obvious distress. That being so, it was only fitting that she continue to play the part of a bitch in heat considering his true nature, and that meant that she would have to pet him like the dog he was if she was expecting anything in return.

So, without making any motions to assist the girl, he set his sights straight ahead and waited for her to work up the nerve to even touch him. True, there was a part of him that balked at the idea of a human being allowed to touch him, but that annoying little voice was quickly smothered by the purring of the beast that was more than happy to feel the touch of…well…pretty much whatever piece of tail his icy master would let near to him…not like the miko had a tail…but still.

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Kagome had a problem, a problem not at all being help by her mind's distraction with the gorgeous being standing in front of her or the burning of her body that made it near impossible to keep standing on her feet. The problem, of course, being that she hadn't the faintest idea of how the hell to get Sesshomaru's elaborate armor off. Not like that was about to stop her though, she was hell bent on seeing this through to its completion. Oh and how she was looking forward to that completion.

So, after a few moments of fidgeting nervously and allowing her sight to scan over him and still coming up with nothing in the way the would be helpful, she slowly began to make her way around the youkai in hopes that she would find the trick to the heavy plating running across his chest and shoulders which locked into place the thick material covering his upper body, and, more importantly, which hung so annoying low that it covered the exact part of his anatomy that she had such an invested interest in at that precise moment in time.

She finished circling him with still nothing to show for her effort, but still she was not deterred. Finally, settling for doing something at least somewhat productive, and not to mention something that would somewhat manage to ease her justifiable concerns about this particular youkai, she stepped towards him and secured his long, elaborate sash in her hands.

Unfortunately for the young miko, her motion had brought her dangerously close to the evil blade of Tokijin, and the blasted demon fang decided that it was going to remind her just how annoyingly evil it was by releasing a sharp jolt of burning energy to scorch her overly-sensitized skin. She hissed in pain and snatched her hand back from the burn of the demon blade, cradling her throbbing right hand with her left.

She lifted her eyes to Sesshomaru, silently asking him just how she was supposed to go about divesting him of his clothing if she couldn't even get past his blasted weaponry and armor, and biting her tongue fiercely to avoid asking him bluntly if women truly were supposed to do everything themselves and if such a thing was so that perhaps she would be better off enjoying the sensations of a not-so-little 'friend' and her own fingers. However, when her sight landed on his face, she found that not only was he not looking at her, but that his lips had been twisted in a faint smirk of what was undeniably amusement.

'Oh, so he thinks my pain is funny?' she asked herself in a new rush of anger. She was having the worst day of her life and this pompous ass was laughing at her misfortune and her unbelievably bad luck in all things sexual. Well, she wasn't about to stand for it. Her heated body and her raging hormones made it all but impossible for her to control her fury, and there is nothing, nothing that should bring fear to a man more than a sexually frustrated female with absolutely no more patience for the male gender. 'I'll show him,' she thought evilly as she raised her hand before her and allowed it to be consumed by the radiant blue light of her inner strength.

Her powers bust forth easily from behind the weakened barriers holding them at bay. Her state of duress had already weakened her ability to hold them back, but now her anger was allowing them to flow freely; brilliant, powerful, and most importantly, deadly to almost all youkai. Almost, that is. Of course, Sesshomaru was not as susceptible to her pure powers, but that didn't mean she couldn't give him one hell of a bad burn.

The rising up of her power cause Sesshomaru to look down at her. His eyes narrowed threateningly on her, but Kagome, too flustered to care in the slightest, only smirked at him evilly as she reached her hand forward and took a firm hold of Tokijin. The evil blade reacted immediately to her touch, spitting out burning waves of energy furiously; but Kagome's powers kept the burn of the demonic sword at bay, and she proceeded to draw it from its place at Sesshomaru's side. One it was in her grasp she took a slight step back from the demon Lord, lifting the blade before her and pointing it directly at him.

Tokijin crackled wildly as it fought against her pure power, and with the searing bolts of its power were combining the brilliant blues of her own as she used her strength to keep the swords presence from controlling her, instead directing its energy away from herself and towards the demon she was standing before. Oh, sure, it stung like a bitch and weighed about as much as her backpack when stuffed to the rim with…let's say…lead weights and she was pretty sure that threatening Sesshomaru with his own weapon was likely an offense that would be punished with something that would hurt a whole hell of a lot more that having thousands of red hot pokers rammed through your eyes and into your brain or even having your heart dug out of you chest…with a spoon; but still, he didn't have to be smirking at her all amused just because she had hissed in pain when she came in contact with his demon sword. Ok, maybe that wasn't the best way to put that. Gods! All of the sexual tension that she was feeling and the terribly naughty thoughts running through her head made it impossible to think about anything else! Of course, such thoughts didn't deter Kagome in the slightest. Actually, they only drove her onwards.

She smirked again when she saw him lift a sculpted brow as he watched her motions with the sword. Yeah, she should have known that something like this would turn him on. What power-obsessed control freak wasn't a masochist a heart? Of course he was turned on by having a sword shoved at him by a female that was so obviously dying with want for his touch. Oh, payback's a bitch, and how she was going to enjoy making him squirm. That is, of course, if she could figure out how the hell to get him out of his armor.

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Now, before you go getting all upset that there was no lemon this chapter, let me explain. You see…well…ummmm…I just thought this scene was funny, ok? So I wrote it! Ha!

Now, I have to stop being a bad writer and give some credit where credit is due.

'Wild, mad, passionate monkey dance': description courtesy of Tana-san and her daughter.

'Pet him like the dog he was': a happy thought courtesy of necoconeco1

'Must women do everything themselves?' A valid question that I thought needed attention, brought up by J.C.

Thank you, my reviewers, for giving me tiny pieces of inspiration to continue writing. Oh, there were many more, but though I can twist the words somewhat to include the occasional line; sometimes, no matter how much I may wish to, the story just won't allow it. Still, all of your kind (or not, whatever floats your boat) words and your thoughts (or random blurbs of drool over the sexiness that is Sesshomaru) are all well appreciated.

Perhaps next time we shall be able to enjoy a nice tall glass of thirst quenching lemonade, but until then

Later

Shadow

**Warning:** This story is not for anyone below the age of 16 or who is troubled by sexual situations. It is rated 'M' for a reason people, and this Shadow would suggest that you leave your morals at the door because you are definitely not going to need then while reading this. You have been warned. Now, on with the fun ;P

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or have any claims over anything but for my terribly twisted imagination that so enjoys torturing these wonderful characters.


	8. Chapter 8

'I'm dead. I'm dead, I'm dead, I died; I'm dead.'

It all happened so fast that Kagome couldn't register anything of what had happened; but she was all but sure that the blinding flash of light she saw combined with the incredible surge of raw, devastating power and the immediate feeling of weightlessness that overtook her entire being meant that she was, indeed, dead.

Of course, looking back on her actions, she realized that it wasn't very hard to believe that Sesshomaru had killed her considering what she had done and all; but come on! The guy was proving to be more of a tease than any of her previous encounters! He had all but told her she had permission to draw on his sword, which, she had hoped with every burning fiber of her being, had also meant that she would be finding the release that she so desperately needed. So what if the sword she had been playing with hadn't been the same one that he had given her permission to fondle, if he was going to have such a hissy and kill her for what she did with said sword then he should have just removed the blasted things so that they wouldn't have been so tempting!

But it hadn't been the fact that she had drawn Sesshomaru's sword that had caused him to kill her, or even that she had pointed it at him threateningly in anger; it had been what she had thought to do with the sword that he must have taken such offense to. She realized this now, and, being that she was dead and all, she figured she had time to go over the turn of events that had led to her untimely demise. At least, she figured, she would be able to tell her father why it was she was coming home to him a little bit earlier than anticipated (not like she was really going to tell him WHY she had been playing with the stupidly powerful demon's sword, but she figured at least some of the story could be salvaged).

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He was standing there all regally, seeming unperturbed by the fact that there was a sword being directed at him in anger, not like she would have expected anything different from the frigid, aloof, haughty demon Lord; and the only sign of his, what she could only assume to be amusement or interest in her actions, being the slight lifting of his annoyingly perfect eyebrows and the terribly uncharacteristic glint in his eyes. She should have known that glint meant nothing good, but she was far too gone in the fires of her own desire to notice or care. She wanted, and demon be damned, she was going to have.

So, in the brainless act that would lead to her demise, Kagome had moved the sword in her grasp up to come nearly to rest against the demon's throat and opened her mouth and issued her order, yes, order, to the demon Lord.

"Undress."

One word, one word that, if conceded to, would have spelled the end of her sexual frustrations; and yet, it was that one word which had lead to her death. In an instant, the world was swept away from her in a blinding flash of light, her senses became overwhelmed by the incredible surging up of his powers, and her body was robbed of any sensation but for the feeling of being weightless, as though lost in a free-fall that would never end.

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Life, however, had not given up on the little miko just yet. Actually, it was simply preparing her for another of its wild rides, and this ride would be wilder than even her dreams could conjure up.

The air was pushed out of her lungs forcefully when Kagome landed hard against the ground. She had been forced to her knees, her hands sprawling out in front of her in an attempt to steady herself, and the sword she had once held long removed from her grasp. But what air she had lost upon her forceful landing was brought back again in a startled draw when she felt the weight of another's body settling over her, trapping her beneath his larger frame.

She felt him shift against her, felt him pressing forcefully against her back end as he lowered himself towards her. His silver mane spilled down over her shoulders, brushing against her overly sensitive skin, causing trembling shivers to course through her entire body before collecting in satiny pools against the ground beneath her. Try as she might, given the heated state of her body, Kagome could not bite back the throaty moan that escaped her due to his dominating position over her.

Her moan of pleasure, however, was quickly replaced with a startled cry of pain as his teeth latched onto her ear, biting down hard enough to spill her blood, but immediately replaced by his hot tongue smoothing over the throbbing pain and leaving her feeling light-headed and weak. She whimpered quietly, not knowing what to do, and thinking, knowing, that she had gotten herself in way over her head. But the soft whimpers she was releasing had spoken to him, and he pulled his dangerous fangs away from her sensitive ear, in their place, cutting through her with his frigid words.

"You would dare think to order this Sesshomaru, bitch?" His voice was deep; a rumble that seemed more of a growl instead of his usual soft, monotone, tenor, and the bestial sound of it caused her to shiver in both fear and pleasure. When the woman did not respond to him, Sesshomaru growled deeply and commandingly, feeling once again the shiver that ran through her petite frame at his display of dominance. "Answer," he ordered her as he caught her long hair in his hand and gave it a hard tug to turn her to face him.

Kagome yelped in pain when her head was forced to turn so abruptly. She blinked here eyes frantically as she fought back her threatening tears. She was really, REALLY starting to see the down side to getting her jollies from Sesshomaru. But when she finally allowed her eyes to focus on him, instead of being met with the ice-covered gold of his contemptuous glare, she was seeing burning crimson fires dancing through his eyes.

She gasped, in fear and awe. She had done this, she realized. She had caused his demonic side to bleed through his hardened defenses. This wasn't anger she was seeing, but rather it was lust. Apparently her little stunt had done more for her position that she would have believed. The question remained though, how was she to answer him? It was obvious that he was demonstrating his domination over her, and yet, at the same time, he was giving her the opportunity to claim such a thing over him. The problem was, she wasn't sure if it was a good thing or not. If she answered wrong, she might really be facing her death as she had thought only moments before, but if she answered right…

'Well,' she thought distantly as she gazed into the bleeding crimson of his eyes, 'It takes two to tango.'

Decision made, though still uncertain if it would mean death or not, but silently praying that Sesshomaru really did have enough control to not literally bite her head off if she answered him incorrectly or that if he didn't that he may actually have a heart somewhere deep, deep, DEEP inside his icy hide and would realize after he had killed her and his more bestial nature receded that she really could have had no fucking clue as to the mating habits of dogs being that she was HUMAN and make use of his father's fang on her lifeless corpse to give her a second chance at life, if only so that he could make another go at killing her on the battlefield; Kagome gave him her answer.

But she would not use only her voice in her reply. She may not have known what she was doing, but if she knew anything about the stoic youkai that currently had her life in his hands, and not to mention between his legs which she could, more distinctly than necessary, feel rooted on either side of her and capturing her petite frame tightly against his muscular form and hard armor; but she did know that if Sesshomaru respected anything that it was power.

So, without moving her eyes from his, she took a deep breath and concentrated on drawing her powers to the surface. They surrounded her body in a soft glow if iridescent light, soothing and warm and flowing in soft, rippling waves around her being. She could feel his rumbling growl vibrating through her body as much as she could hear it, but somehow she knew that there was no threat in that sound, somehow she knew that it was one of appreciation rather than wrath.

When she spoke, despite her uncertainty and fear, her voce did not waver. "You have given me an order, and though I am more than happy to comply and will give you what pleasure I can to satisfy my part, I can not do so without your cooperation. So, yes, Sesshomaru, I would dare to give you an order, and I would dare to do it again. Undress."

Sesshomaru's lips began lifting in a slow, dangerous smirk as he listened to her words. For a moment, Kagome thought that she had just signed her own death certificate, but that thought was quickly replaced with elation when instead of using his tight grip on her hair to leave her as an ugly, headless corpse, he used his leverage on her to pull her head toward him, locking his lips to hers in a searing kiss of such hunger and lust that she nearly collapsed from the intensity of it.

His mouth was so hot, hotter than she would have believed her sensitive lips to stand against; but when his jaw snapped open to drag his razor sharp fangs across her lips, causing her to gasp, and he took the opportunity to plunge his tongue deeply into her mouth and assault her with the taste of the forbidden, she forgot about the heat of their contact, giving herself over instead to the burn of her desire.

Somewhere, distantly in her clouded mind, Kagome realized that his tongue was much longer and rougher than hers; but that fact only heightened the sensuality of the heated kiss he was giving her. She could feel the course texture of his tongue dragging across the sensitive skin of both her lips and the soft flesh of her mouth, and it had her moaning softly in want and need. But no sooner had she made the sound that he used the added length of his gloriously dexterous appendage to wrap around her own searching muscle, stilling her motions while releasing a deep, vibrating growl that shook through her body as a wave of complete ecstasy.

Her eyes slipped open from her dazed state, looking to him for the answer of what it was he wanted from her. When she saw that his eyes had once again been turned to pools of molten gold, her body tensed slightly in apprehension and she unconsciously made a slight movement away from him; but he stopped her movement by tightening his grip on her hair.

Slowly, he began to pull away from the lock of their mouths, but never did his gaze break away from hers. He could feel her hesitation, he could smell it in her scent beneath the heavy blanket of her arousal; but she had been a good little bitch, and he had no intention of allowing her fear to linger. His grip on her hair slackened, his hand traveling down the line of her jaw until her could grip it firmly. Her eyes widened and she drew in a short, uncertain breath as he leaned into her again, but he soothed her hesitation with a soft, rumbling growl of contentment and the delicate motions of his lips and fangs as he trailed light nips and kisses across her jaw until he was level with her ear.

"Very well, bitch," he told her quietly, his velvety voice capturing her completely and the soothing tenors calming her once more. He paused momentarily to sweep his tongue out to trace the delicate shell of her ear, earning a delighted shiver from the little female before he continued. "Let us see what more surprises you would have for me."

He thrust against her firmly from behind, which, despite that barrier of the heavy material of his armor, still pulled from the little miko a deep moan of desire, and then he pulled back from her, freeing her body from his hold, causing her whole body to be consumed by a chilled shiver as she was robbed of his warmth. He could hear her strained breathing as she struggled to bring her heated body back under her control and the wild and rapid beat of her mortal heart with would send out the heated call of her desire with every throbbing pulse.

Looking upon her, having her reactions play across his senses so vividly, he found himself yet again forced to fight back against the howling of the beast. But he would fight against it. He would not make things so easy one her. She had managed with only one word to bring his instincts into play. She had done what he had only thought a vague possibility without even touching him, and he knew that now, now that the beast had taken to her tiny whimpers and moans so raptly, that there was nothing that would stop him from having her. However, she still had a service to perform for him, and he would make her work for it. So he focused his attention on cooling his body and restraining his urges, making certain that he would not reveal what she had done to him only moments before.

Still, he could not resist watching her sluggish movements as she pulled herself away from the heat of his caress. It stirred his pride to see how long it was taking her to force her body to obey her commands. But when she had finally managed to bring herself fully to her knees and turn towards him, he could not help the wicked smirk that pulled up on his lips. The fog of lust had cleared from her eyes, and now as she looked upon him he could clearly see her wild side bringing, what would no doubt prove to be pleasurable, images to her mind. This little miko, he knew, despite her fragility and her hesitations, was most certainly ready to partake in this game. She would play her part, and she would play it well.

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Yeah! Stripshow! LOL I really didn't know how that stunt with the sword was going to end up, though I was given some rather interesting suggestions (Sorry Chaos, but the trees are safe from your torture for the time being); but this works. Now, I'm going to crawl into a snowbank to try and cool myself off. So, while I'm busy melting all of the snow in Canada (not that there really is all that much at the moment sigh), readers enjoy!

Cheers

Shadow

**Warning:** This story is not for anyone below the age of 16 or who is troubled by sexual situations. It is rated 'M' for a reason people, and this Shadow would suggest that you leave your morals at the door because you are definitely not going to need then while reading this. You have been warned. Now, on with the fun ;P

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or have any claims over anything but for my terribly twisted imagination that so enjoys torturing these wonderful characters.


	9. Chapter 9

Once the girl had turned her attention to him again, Sesshomaru began the task of releasing his heavy armor. His tail lifted from its resting position across his shoulder, moving with trained grace and precision to wrap around the heavy plating secured across his chest as his hand released the hidden clasp settled just beneath his right arm. The spike-plated outer shell of his armor fell away instantly, caught easily by his tail and lifted away from his body and maneuvered to the ground in one fluid motion.

Next came the toughened material binding his torso. Now, usually he would find himself suppressing the undignified urge to mutter curses about the foulness of hanyou brats and their brash stupidity and complete and utter uselessness and unwanted interference in his otherwise unblemished existence when the task of removing his armor took slightly longer than he deemed necessary thanks to the incomprehensible streak of dumb luck that had struck his bastard brother on that day when the whelp had managed to make his way past his defenses and turn his own father's fang against him, thus robbing him of his left arm; but on this particular day, upon seeing how thoroughly entranced the little miko was by the motions he was going through in the simple task, he found that the extra time it was taking was not nearly as bothering. Actually, with a slight, devious, smirk rising on his lips, he thought it appropriate to slow his motions, taking his time in releasing the tight bindings that would pull the heavy material away from his body, and watching intently the miko's flushed response.

Of course, somewhere in his mind an annoying little voice sounded out to him, thinking it prudent to point out the fact that it had been because of this particular miko that the half-breed was given possession of the fang in the first place, and that it had also been the whelp's overwhelming desire to protect the girl that had allowed him to unleash the sword's power against him. But that voice, and pretty much any unproductive thought it wished to create, was quickly smothered and ripped to unrecognizable shreds by the snarling beast that had already vowed to take the little miko, to have her flushing body writhing beneath him, to taste her, to feel her, to dominate her, to…well…the beast had a very vivid imagination, and it was more than pleased to supply tantalizing images of the many, many different things it was hoping to do, none of which required much thought, but all of which would definitely prove to be pleasurable. So, with the annoying little voice silenced, and the purring of the beast forefront, Sesshomaru continued his slow, deliberate motions to remove his heavy armor before the wide, appreciative eyes of the little miko.

Kagome, for her part, was desperately trying to think of anything that didn't involve the fact that she was being given a personal striptease by the hunka hunka demon flesh before her. Her body was heated enough as it was, a problem not at all helped by the position Sesshomaru had forced her into only moments before, and magnified a hundred fold as he slowly stripped away the barriers that had been keeping her from him.

So, hoping to prevent her body from betraying her any more than it already had, not like she believed she really would be able to hold out against the burning torture for very long anyways, but she figured she should at least give it a go; Kagome made an attempt to direct her thoughts to something, anything, else but the demon Lord standing in front of her, pulling off his elaborate armor as to her request, and going about the task with such slow, deliberate motions that she was certain there was nothing in the world that was so mind-numbingly erotic or sexy.

'Grass,' she decided suddenly. 'Grass is good. Nothing sexy about grass. It just sits there, all green, not hurting anyone, swaying softly in the breeze…breeze that catches and lifts things to dance in a flowing curtain of silver that shines like the moon and begs to be touched, to have fingers trailed through it delicately, catching and clenching and pulling as his body settles over you and…' Ok, so grass wasn't quite as innocent as she had first thought.

'The sky,' she tried again, 'Can't be anything sexy about the sky. The night sky, so dark and deep, like a blanket of black that covers the world, hiding its secrets behind the darkness, holding the vivid white light in its confinement, pulling away in fluid movements to fall to the earth in a forgotten heap as his hand slides back up across his chest to…' It seemed that the sky was an unsafe bet as well.

'Bunnies,' she knew she had it this time. 'There can't be anything bad about bunnies. They're so cute and soft and fluffy, that make you just want to hold them, pressing the soft fur against your body, letting it wrap around you and feeling the silken material drag across you skin as he settles you against the ground, his hands free to ravish your body as you trace along lines of burning crimson that mark his heritage, following them up his arms, across his chest, and down, down until you can take hold of…' Kagome decided suddenly that she needed to do something else, anything else but sitting there watching him.

Her eyes, with much effort, were taken away from the exotic show, scanning over the darkness of the little clearing until she found what she needed. She looked back to Sesshomaru one last time, smiling deviously at him when he paused in his dance and tilted his head slightly in inquisition, then pulled herself to her feet. She took a moment to steady her wobbly limbs then moved over to collect her little handbag from where it had been abandoned in the grass. Once in her hand, she twirled the little bag around her finger playfully as she turned back to Sesshomaru.

Of course, she nearly dropped the little bag when she caught sight of him again and took immediate notice of the fact that his armor had been completely removed and that the removing of said armor had left the silk material of his clothing parted in a magnificent line to reveal a glimpse of the expanse of his sculpted chest, which actually caused her to drool in anticipation. But she quickly fought off the effect he was having on her, finding purpose once again and driving her steps towards him.

Once standing before him, Kagome took a moment to furiously suppress the blush rising on her cheeks at the thought of what she had in mind for the demon. It didn't work, of course, but she had to try at least. He hadn't moved since she had stepped up to him, nor was she really expecting him to. Now that the barrier of his armor was gone, it would be left to her to complete her task.

She allowed herself a wicked smile at that thought. She knew exactly how she was going to go about completing Sesshomaru's demand that she demonstrate the application of the sexual device. He had, after all, said himself that he was wanting for her to surprise him, and she was willing to bet the fire in her veins that he wouldn't be expecting her to do what she had in mind and also that he wouldn't know what hit him when instead of hot fires she planned on using ice cooler than what so often covered his molten gold eyes.

Yes, payback was definitely a bitch, but, at that moment, Kagome decided that she could be one as well.

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I know it was short, but I ran out of time. So, since an 'ending' came so easily for this scene, I just thought I'd post it and get back to writing the rest of this little tryst later. The lemon is coming, really, you'll all just have to be patient with me for a bit.

I just have to do this. HAHA! I gave Sesshomaru a tail! I usually don't, but I just had to just this once. Hehehe what fun!

Ahhh, le sigh. It seems that the curse of my fondness for Run-on sentences has consumed me in this chapter. I noticed them getting bad in the last one, but this time I think they got a bit carried away. Ah well, there's always next time. Besides, they're fun ;P

Anyways, I'm off for now.

Shadow

**Warning:** This story is not for anyone below the age of 16 or who is troubled by sexual situations. It is rated 'M' for a reason people, and this Shadow would suggest that you leave your morals at the door because you are definitely not going to need then while reading this. You have been warned. Now, on with the fun ;P

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or have any claims over anything but for my terribly twisted imagination that so enjoys torturing these wonderful characters.


	10. Chapter 10

"Wow…"

Her awed whisper really wasn't supposed to come out like that, but, given that the little miko had never seen anything so magnificently male in her entire life, it couldn't be helped. It wasn't like she was new to seeing a male's body. She had even seen Inuyasha without his shirt many times as the hanyou seemed to have a knack for getting himself injured in the many, many fights that he liked to start almost as much as he liked to finish. But she was damn sure that Inuyasha's well defined body held nothing even remotely comparable on this Adonis.

'Make that Ab-donis,' she corrected in her mind as her hands traveled across the sculpted muscles rippling Sesshomaru's stomach, each rise and fall of her appreciative fingers causing the tight coil of desire within her to clench even more. 'I've heard of a six-pack,' she mused silently, 'but eight?' She shrugged off that thought though, attributing it to demons, or dogs, or simply something only attainable by Sesshomaru, and moved her hands to splay out across his stomach, pushing his silk garment back even further to reveal more of his glorious musculature. She found, with a joyous shiver of delight, that the serratus muscles really did feel like the serrated edge of a large saw when given the proper definition.

Her hands continued slipping upwards, finally finding their way to trace along the deep depression formed just below the rise of his ample pecs, which rose in steady, hypnotizing motions with each intake of air into his lungs. For a moment, a random thought popped into her head, telling her that it was very likely Sesshomaru had bigger breasts than her, only that his were hard, and sculpted, and quivered slightly under her fingers as his body shifted with his steady draughts of air. She was also pretty sure that the dark peaks of his nipples were made with no more purpose than to drive girls out of their mind with the compulsive need to take them into their mouth and bite. Hard.

And though the little miko did realize that her line of thought was likely not very intelligent, that didn't stop her from giving in to the temptation to do exactly what her foggy mind was telling her to do. As her hands slipped up over his broad shoulders, pushing away the rest of the silk covering his upper body, Kagome leaned into his chest, catching one of the overly-tempting peaks in her hot, eager mouth. After swirling her tongue around it for a moment to rise the delicate piece of flesh to the occasion, she clamped down on it with her teeth, reveling in the fact that though his flesh gave way slightly beneath the force of her jaw she did not have to suppress anything against this man because he was not a man at all, and the strength of his youkai blood would never allow such treatment to bring him harm.

A startled yelp was pulled from Sesshomaru at the little bitch's bold move, followed immediately by a low, rumbling growl of displeasure both at the bitch for biting him and at himself for being so fucking weak that he had actually yelped. It wasn't like it really hurt or anything, it was just that her hot mouth wrapping around the sensitive region and the soft stroking of her tongue combined with the feathery motions of her delicate fingers had had him so completely distracted that, for a moment, he had forgotten that he was supposed to be fighting against the sensations produced by her touch.

He just couldn't help it. He had never been touched with such softness, never felt the wake of hot pleasure that was left on his skin after every motion of her hand. Her touch was tender, so soft that it felt like rose petals dragging across his skin; but at the same time it was hungry, tracing every inch of him as though she could consume him. Never had he allowed a female to touch him in such a way. But then, never had any bitch dared to challenge him the way this little miko had, never had they dared to give him an order as such or refuse to back down when forced to submit.

Still, she had bitten him. Did she not realize what that meant? No. Apparently not judging by the light giggles she was releasing and they way she pulled herself closer to rest her upper body against him and take pleasure in the way his chest vibrated his displeasure. But no matter that she didn't understand the implications of what she was doing; the bitch was misbehaving by putting her teeth against his skin in such a way.

So, to set her in line and gain a little retribution, Sesshomaru allowed his tail to curl behind the little miko, coiling it tightly before snapping it forward and delivering a hard crack against the lush curve of her backside. The miko instantly stiffened at the contact, but then, to his extreme surprise, released another bout of light giggles before latching her mouth onto him once again, and again biting down with her blunted human teeth, tugging playfully as her tongue continued to dance across his sensitive flesh.

Sesshomaru looked down at the crown of raven hair burrowing against his chest, one eyebrow lifting in curiosity. This, he decided, was no human, she wasn't even a miko or a bitch for that matter; no, this little female was a devil in disguise…though another flick of her hot tongue against his skin and the slipping of her little hands down the curve of his back, stopping only when she had a firm hold of his ass, had him biting back a groan of pleasure as well as wondering if where she came from angels had horns.

Kagome may not have had horns, but she was certainly feeling wicked. Sesshomaru's little reprimand against her had done nothing in the way that it was intended. Actually, for the little miko, the sharp crack and the lingering sting against her bottom only made her more award of her body as well as the one she was pressing against. She felt it so distinctly when Sesshomaru stiffened against her as her grasping hands took firm hold of his most exquisite and delicious ass, and she couldn't help the wicked gleam that entered her eyes. If he was having trouble not releasing the sounds of his pleasure, then she was going to be more than happy to force the issue.

She shifted her hands so that they came to rest on his hips, supporting her weight as she shifted against him, trailing hot kissed down his skin, pausing every once in a while to trace the curve of a ridiculously sculpted, but extremely appreciated, muscle with her tongue, until she had lowered herself to her knees before him. After a quick look for the ties holding his pants in place to direct her hands, she lifted her eyes to Sesshomaru's, gracing him with a mock innocent smile that she had learned after years of traveling with Miroku.

He, she knew, wasn't buying it for a second, especially since while her smile was innocent, her hands were occupied doing something far from it as they worked nimbly to undo the tie holding his pants at his waist; but it wasn't like it really mattered in the end, she was just trying to throw him off a bit before she threw another roadblock at him

A roadblock…more like a brick wall.

Kagome had finally allowed her sight to drift away from Sesshomaru's eyes and travel down to where her hands were pulling away the soft silk of his pants, and she instantly stilled.

'I wonder,' she thought absently as she stared dumbly in shock, 'Why they call it virginal fear and not virginal confusion? How on earth does something that big fit in something…' Her eyes drifted downwards in slight bewilderment, sizing up her petite body before reluctantly traveling back to…ahem…her new discovery about where the dog really did hide the bone.

The look on the little miko's face was absolutely priceless. Her blue eyes had grown wide, at fist blinking in rapid flutterings of complete shock before being drawn down in long stokes of contemplation; and her lips, pink with the heavy pulse of hot fluid running through her veins in her activities, had parted slightly as her jaw grew slack. The sight of her made him want to laugh, which was undoubtedly the strangest sensation that the miko had managed to produce for him thus far, especially since he didn't laugh. Ever.

He knew that the girl was going to be fun, but what he hadn't known was how much fun. In response to his new revelations about the strange creature kneeling before him, the action couldn't have been helped. Really. It was an unconscious, unintentional, undeniably funny, careful tightening of certain muscles to lift one particular appendage in slight rises and falls before the virgin girl's eyes; making her topple backwards from her kneeling position with a startled gasp.

'It…moved!' Kagome was screaming in her mind. 'How did it…I mean how did he…what the hell??!!'

Kagome's startled and scattered line of thought was cut off completely when she heard a strange, choppy, rumbling sound coming from Sesshomaru. Her eyebrows knitted in confusion as she allowed her sight to travel up to him. She couldn't possibly be hearing what she thought she was. She just knew it. There was no way, absolutely no way in the seven layers of hell that the sound she was hearing coming from Sesshomaru was what she thought it was.

When her sight finally landed on his face though, and she saw the tight clenching of his jaw muscle as it restrained against the pull of the tightening muscles of his cheeks and the uneven movement of his chest which was causing the irregularity of the sound he was releasing, she realized that she must have died because Sesshomaru was, in fact, laughing at her.

Still, dead or not, Kagome would have her retribution for that little stunt by the youkai. Her eyes took on some of the dark shadows of the night, deepening to cobalt as her determination was set. She pushed herself to her knees forcefully, setting herself firm as her right hand reached forward and wrapped tightly around the base of his heavily engorged length.

His low, choppy, rumbles of amusement were immediately stilled, and Kagome smirked wickedly. Her hand shifted, her tight grip against him not loosening as she pulled hard along his length, forcing a light gathering of moisture to collect at its tip. She leaned into him, her tongue moving out of her mouth to drag across the slick, heated skin, applying pressure with the stiffened tip of her tongue as it passed so that she could clear every trace of his essence from the small opening.

Kagome gasped when a clawed hand suddenly grasped at her hair roughly. She pulled back slightly from him as she lifted her eyes. However, upon being met once again by burning crimson, Kagome smiled; a happy smile of understanding, before she leaned into him again, parting her lips and resting them lightly around him.

Her tongue began moving against him in slow strokes as her throat muscles worked to create pressure on him as she swallowed down what moisture was left behind from her thorough coating of him. Slowly, she allowed herself to lean into him more, taking little by little another amount of his length into her hot mouth to cover it with light, glistening moisture as she shifted to pull away again.

She moaned against him when she felt his hand beginning to kneed against her scalp, clenching and unclenching in her hair as unconscious motions to try and keep her where she were being fought against to allow her the freedom to continue giving him pleasure. She was rewarded for the low vibration created by her throaty moan with the slight tremble she felt course through the muscles of his leg where her free hand was resting.

He was still fighting against her, she realized; trying to keep his reactions from the surface. But she still had some surprises in store for the youkai. After all, she was a modern girl; and though she had no personal experience with such intimate matters, the drastically altered morals and social norms of her time had given her plenty of second-hand understanding.

She allowed him one last, long, draw of her heated mouth; plunging the thick head of his member as far back into her mouth as she could and even pausing to allow her tense throat muscles to relax and give him the extra inch of sensation before she pulled her lips stiffly back along his length, following their path closely with her hand.

When she finally removed her hot lips from his throbbing length, she quickly covered him with her hand. She squeezed him hard, smirking in satisfaction when she heard the barely audible groan spill from his lips, and then allowed her right hand to continue in slow, agonizing storks along his length as her left found its way into her little bag.

Oh no, she hadn't quite finished toying with him. He had asked for surprises, and he was about to get one hell of a shocker.

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Hmmmm…do you think a computer can spontaneously combust…or for that matter, a terribly flustered authoress? Let's hope not, eh? Or there may never be a resolution for this teasing piece. I think that, in small doses, that this whole lemon writing isn't all that bad. It certainly is less daunting to write smaller scenes as opposed to a one-shot where everything goes down all at once. Smirks evilly Then again, you don't have to wonder when the tension is finally going to be relieved in one-shots.

Ta Ta

Shadow

**Warning:** This story is not for anyone below the age of 16 or who is troubled by sexual situations. It is rated 'M' for a reason people, and this Shadow would suggest that you leave your morals at the door because you are definitely not going to need then while reading this. You have been warned. Now, on with the fun ;P

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or have any claims over anything but for my terribly twisted imagination that so enjoys torturing these wonderful characters.


	11. Chapter 11

She supposed she should have been intimidated in the way the burning crimson of his eyes narrowed on her when she looked up to him, but she wasn't. Then again, she knew he was looking at her in such a dangerous way was because she had stopped her oral ministrations, but since her hand was still wrapped firmly around his throbbing length and stroking him in long, deliberate motions, Kagome wasn't concerned in the slightest. Actually, it excited her to know that she could have such an effect on the youkai. Sesshomaru was one of the most controlled beings that she had ever known, and to be able to see the red in his eyes and feel the slight tremors running through his muscles and knowing she was the cause of it, filled her with such deep satisfaction that it was nearly comparable to the throbbing need she was constantly fighting against between her legs.

That need, however, was a much more persistent feeling, and a much more infuriating one. She knew that she needed to alleviate some of her long-earned tension or she would be basically useless in any act to follow, since, she was all but certain even the slightest brushing against her painfully swollen nether lips would plummet her into the pits of hell or throw her straight over the pearly gates (she hadn't decided which, nor did she particularly care). So, Kagome thought she could take the direction of this little tryst into her hands, or more importantly, her mouth.

"I think you're a little too hot, Sesshomaru," she told him with a wicked smirk. "I think, perhaps, I should see what can be done about that."

The low growl of warning issued from Sesshomaru at her words was quickly cut off when Kagome leaned forward and wrapped her mouth around him again. If her mouth wasn't so completely filled, she would have giggled at the way he immediately responded to her touch with a slight jump and the fact that his rumbling growl had been silenced with such immediacy that it cut off sounding more like a whimper. But, since she would have been rather pressed to allow the muscles of her jaw to tense given the rather interesting position she was in, she settled for focusing on the task at hand. It was a fair trade, she figured, since Sesshomaru's reaction to this ministration would undoubtedly prove one for the record books.

She made sure to roll her tongue around him thoroughly, covering every inch of his sensitive skin with the burning heat covering her tongue as she drew his length deeply into her mouth. He couldn't feel it, she knew. Not when the heat of her mouth was still on him. But the thin strip that she had set on her tongue was about to give the youkai the shock of a lifetime.

After being certain that she had covered him completely with the cooling mixture that had formed in her mouth, she pulled back from him slowly, letting her lips drag along his heated length, preserving for him the heat as long as possible. She head him draw in a startled breath when he began feeling the cooling effect on his sensitized skin, but she knew that it was just the beginning. His most sensitive region she allowed to linger in her mouth, rolling playfully across the swollen head with her tongue. But soon, that too she deprived of her heat, amplifying the numbing cold by blowing softly against him.

She heard a hiss of pleasured pain, followed by a low rumble which led into a deep, what she could only assume to be a bark.

Then she felt the pain.

Kagome screamed shrilly, her hands shooting up to her head as she tried to steady against the agonizing pull on her hair that was dragging her to her feet. She managed to wrap her hands around his wrist, frantically pulling against his strong grip to keep the weight of her body off of her poor hair and scalp as her body scrambled to catch her feet.

"Bitch," His deep, commanding voice was emphasized with a sharp jerk of her hair which sent more waves of searing pain shooting through her. Her eyes, wide with trepidation, finally managed to find the ice-covered gold of his. "What did you just do to this Sesshomaru?"

"It's just mint!" she screamed as she twisted and struggled against his unyielding grasp, "To cool you off!"

Another sharp pull against her hair finally managed to still the girl's frantic motions. She still kept her hands locked tightly around his wrist to keep her steady, but they trembled lightly in fear. Her breathing was irregular; short gasps of air being brought quickly into her lungs and pushed out again in panic. But on her breath he could easily smell the sharp spike of concentrated mint extract. She had been telling the truth. Of course, that didn't stop the low growl of displeasure from rattling through his chest. Who was she to be determining if he needed cooling off? He had been just fine without her unwanted addition to her actions.

Well…he had been mostly fine. In truth, he had been about two seconds away from laying the bitch down and ravishing her for all her fragile human body was worth as he fucked her into submission the first time her hot mouth had wrapped around him. It was only with a substantial effort that he had managed to suppress the urge to remove her from such a dangerous position.

No bitch, no matter how loyal, would have ever been allowed to take him into their mouth in such a way. It was simply unthinkable given the nature of their jaw and not to mention the fierce edges of their razor fangs. But, after the purring beast had supplied the fact that this girl was human and her teeth really couldn't do him any damage and loudly proclaiming that it hadn't felt anything so deliciously good in its long existence, Sesshomaru figured he really didn't have all that much to loose, if, of course, one is to leave his mind out of the equation as it was melted into a glorious puddle of numbing pleasure as the girl continued drawing against him with her soft tongue and her hot mouth.

When she had stopped, replacing the sensual, heated moisture with her small hand to continue torturing in agonizing strokes but denying him the pleasure of her heat, he had been left with only two options. The first, ordering the bitch to continue pleasuring him. But since he wasn't all together sure he could make an order sound very orderly given the rather melted state of his thought processes, he was left debating option number two: simply lying the bitch down and replacing the lost heat of her mouth with that of her heated core which, by this time, he could nearly feel pulse with need with every beat of her heart to send out the thick, captivating scent of her desire.

Before he could do anything though, her mouth had wrapped around him again, throwing him back into the world of sensation.

And then the cold had come.

It was like being thrown into an ice-covered lake after being set on fire. The numbing cold had hit him so suddenly and so unexpectedly, that his knees nearly buckled under the force of the coursing shiver that ran though his body spreading ice through his veins. The sensation was incredible. Never before had he felt so completely…denied.

Of course, the evidence of that denial, still stinging with the after effect of the bitch's potion and retreating in numb shock, was something that he did not take very kindly to. Still, there was something about the way her body was trembling in fear and her heated scent was being corrupted by the bitter tang of salt water that he liked even less.

His grip on the girl slackened and immediately she began taking slow, shaky steps backwards. But before she could pull away from him, he lifted his tail to curl around her back. She gasped in shock when she felt the silken fibers of the dexterous appendage float across her skin as he secured her in his hold, and despite her obvious distress, a delighted shiver danced across her skin.

"Why?" That was all he asked as he pulled the girl's petite frame against himself once more, feeling her hot little hands coming up to press back against his chest as though she had the strength to free herself. He caught both of her hands easily in his, waiting for her to stop her futile struggles and answer his question.

Eventually, after realizing that she might as well have been struggling against an industrial sized vice-grip, or a brick wall, or a glacier, or something equally as immobile, Kagome stilled her frantic squirming, lifted her hesitant eyes to Sesshomaru's and gave him her reply.

"Because," she answered quietly with a long sigh of frustration, "Because I need, too."

For the umpteenth time, Sesshomaru found himself shocked at the little miko. "You think that this Sesshomaru would provide such services for you?" he asked, genuinely intrigued as to what her answer would be.

Kagome flushed hotly in embarrassment, but that embarrassment was quickly taken over by even hotter rage. How dare he think that she was just some little sex toy that was there for no other reason than to pleasure him?! What did he think, that she was just some furry bitch that would do nothing more than stick her ass in his face, let him have his way, and then trot off as though something like this happened every day? That she would put herself out like this, do the things she had done for him, if she wasn't expecting anything in return?

Of all the loads of crap that have ever been spewed, that one was by far the most ridiculously repulsive.

Really, did he think that she enjoyed the sensation of having her jaw stretched far beyond its natural limits simply to accommodate his heavy girth, or that she was at all fond of being called a bitch when knowing that the fucking dog that he was, was actually referring to the four-legged, hair-covered, tail-lifting, submissive pack bitches that no doubt would fight each other to the death just to touch the ridiculously powerful alpha male. Or perhaps he thought she enjoyed taking the risk of completely decimating her friendship with Inuyasha simply because his hated half-brother seemed to be the only cock in a time span of 500 years that seemed even remotely capable of giving her even the slightest bit of satisfaction in her miserably sexless existence.

"Yes," she finally hissed out. "I do expect you to give me such pleasures. You keep calling me a bitch, Sesshomaru, but I'm not. I'm Kagome. And right now, this Kagome needs to be freed from the unquenchable thirst of the fires running through her veins. Because if I'm not, and soon, you might find out just how good it feels to be in the vicinity of a miko that has lost all control over herself in a consuming torment worse than the fires of hell!"

"Tempting as that may be, miko," Sesshomaru replied slowly as he released her hands, reaching up to her shoulder to drag on of his claws along her creamy skin and sending waves of shivering pleasure through her heated body, "I believe the fire burning within you would serve a much more pleasurable purpose."

Before Kagome would be given a chance to say anything in reply, the air in her lungs was stolen from her as Sesshomaru used the leverage of his tail to pull her closer to him and claimed her lips in another searing kiss. She whimpered quietly as she tried to keep up with the heated demands of his tongue, but the burning in her body and the sudden withdraw of air from her lungs made her light-headed and weak. She swayed on her feet, only being saved from falling to the ground by the silken appendage wrapped so securely around her.

"Now, now, little miko," Sesshomaru teased as he finally pulled away from her to give her room to breathe in the cool night air, "I will not have you giving out on me so easily. You still have a task to complete. However," he paused as he moved his hand to slip along the slight line of her stomach revealed as her top separated slightly from the hem of her skirt, continuing only after he had drawn from her another tremble of desire, "It seems only fitting that I be the one to administer your 'torment' for the time being."

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This is getting entirely too long glares evilly at the muses gathering around the giant bowl of hentai infused popcorn I think I might go back to writing 'Tears' for a bit and give this piece a rest until the next time the urge pops up and demands my attention in all things sexual. Then again shrugs I suppose it all depends on how I feel when I sit down at my computer tomorrow.

Well, till later I guess.

Shadow

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or have any claims over anything but for my terribly twisted imagination that so enjoys torturing these wonderful characters.


	12. Chapter 12

"YOU FUCKING BASTARD!!! I'M GOING TO KILL YOU!!!"

It wasn't a terribly ladylike response on the part of the little miko, but then again, it didn't even come close to conveying her anger, fury, aggravation, frustration, and completely mind-decimating, body-torturing, sanity-crushing, burning hot, scorching, inferno of denied satisfaction that was pulsing through her being in unrelenting waves of absolute torture as she had been refused her release yet again.

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She had been in complete bliss. Her body was finally being given the attention that it craved, no, demanded it have. And the fire running through her veins, though still burning fiercely, had been soothed to create gentle waves of pure pleasure as his hand traveled over her skin and his hot lips claimed her flesh to taste her.

At first his touch was so gentle, almost as though he feared he would hurt her. A justifiable concern given the fact that his claws could rip through her delicate flesh without so much as a thought and that his superhuman strength could crush her in an instant, but, as he continued in his motions, rising the heat from within her to a level that surpassed anything she had ever known, breaking down her barriers of restraint and control; the powers that had lain dormant within her were called forth, protecting her against the danger of his touch, freeing him to bend her to his will, to take her body as he pleased, to ravish her skin with kisses so hot that her blood boiled, and break her flesh to revel in her blood for the sparse moment that it was allowed to flow before the magic of her being sealed the flow of her life force.

So much she wanted and so much she needed, but all she could do as his fangs would drag across her burning flesh or his lips would press against her in fluttering motions that made her shiver with delight, was moan and whimper her desire, speaking to him without words and yet with more meaning than such simple things could ever convey.

Sesshomaru had been taking his time with her, returning the favor of such a heated caress as he carefully manipulated the long ties holding her satiny shirt against her upper body. Under normal circumstances, he would not have bothered to take to such a mundane task, instead removing such hindrances with a determined rip of his claws; but, since the miko had left him in such a state of cooled shock and he couldn't have even made an attempt at doing what he would normally be doing with such a wonton female, he had settled on receiving retribution in the form of slow torture against her heightened senses.

With every motion of his hand he could feel the rush of hot liquid pool beneath her skin and the cold shivers that spread through her form as her inner heat fought against the cool breezes of the night. When he had finally pulled the delicate fabric away from her upper body, revealing fully the lush mounds of her bounteous breasts and the intricate weavings of the lace that held them bound so firmly and yet provided him a much appreciated view of the supple flesh beneath and even the dark centers lifted with undoubtedly painful need, the girl released such a distressed whimper that he found himself pulling her closer without another thought, pressing her heated flesh against himself to relieve her shock, and claiming her mouth in a hungered kiss, soothing and captivating, turning her tiny whimpers into moans and sighs of complete bliss.

His claws raked down her back lightly as he held her against him, earning more shivers of delight from the little female. However, when he felt the sharp tingling dancing across his skin, he stiffened against her and pulled back slightly. Her eyes, so foggy with passion and desire that their beauteous blue had been stripped away and left as swirling clouds of grey, lifted to him in a motion slowed by her delirium. She was loosing control, he realized. Her powers were being pulled forth in her passion, and she could not stop it.

Her confusion as to why he had stopped his ministrations was evident, but she had been so lost to the sensations he was creating for her to find her voice. But Sesshomaru needed no words from the little miko, her soft moans and whimpers and sighs of pleasure combined with the slightly shifting layers of her scent with every movement she made, gave him all the information he needed to continue.

He took hold of one of her hands, lifting it up to his mouth. He watched as her eyes fluttered closed and another long sigh of pleasure passed from her lips as he pressed his mouth against the palm of her hand, but such distraction was what he had intended to bring her. He slowly shifted his mouth against her skin, bearing her fragile wrist to his fangs and running the razor edges along her tender flesh with carefully applied pressure.

Kagome gasped in shock when the pain ripped across her senses. She tried to pull her hand away from Sesshomaru, but he was holding her firm, his sight trained on the damaged area of her wrist. She followed his gaze, watching unbelievingly as the dark red liquid spilling away from the tear in her skin began to slow in its flow. Without even having to think about it, her body became immersed in the soothing glow of her magic, drawing from out of her spirit the power it needed, focusing in a brilliant blue light around her injured wrist. Before their eyes, the dark flow of blood stilled completely before being burned away to leave nothing but glittering ashes that brushed away from her skin, carried away on the light breeze of the night.

Kagome would have said something if either she had been able to or if Sesshomaru had given her the chance, but before she had even been able to register what her abilities had done, she found herself being pressed forcefully against Sesshomaru's sculpted chest, her mouth once again claimed by his. Only now, where he had been gentle with his motions against her, his actions became more determined, more forceful, more feral.

She could taste the blood in her mouth that was being drawn out of her by the unrestricted tearing of his fangs across her tender lips, but even through she felt the pain ripping through her every time the razor edges broke through her skin, she could also feel the pulsing wake of magic that followed to envelop her with even more heat.

The taste of her blood on his lips and the burning sting of her flaring energies clouded Sesshomaru's mind of all thought and any restraint. He growled deeply as the lustful fever began to overtake his body, calling to attention every carnal instinct of his blood. The fire in her veins became his as her life's blood flowed into him, and the burn of her power against his senses drove the beast within wild with anticipation. This power would be his. She would give him more of it, all of it.

His hand tightened against her back, his claws digging deeply into her flesh. Kagome ripped her mouth away from his, throwing her head back and screaming as the hot waves of pain ripped through her, only to whimper through gasping breaths as the power within her surged outwards again and again soothed over the wake of her distress in a heated caress of pure energy.

The sensation was so intense that the little miko's legs gave out beneath her. Sesshomaru quickly tightened his grip around the girl, but rather than steadying her on her feet, he allowed her body to slowly sink down to the ground. The girl hissed with shock when her heated body came in contact with the cool grass, her body arching upwards to lessen the contact against her skin. But her movement only served to present to the demon hovering above her with a perfect view of her lush breasts through the skimpy material of her brassiere.

His eyes darkened, the blood red turning nearly black as his claws worked quickly to reveal to him his prize. Once free of the confines of her garment, Sesshomaru wrapped his hot mouth around one of the lush mounds, growling deeply in satisfaction at the way her body coursed with another trembling wave of desire and a deep, throaty moan was pulled from her lips.

While his mouth worked at alternating between light strokes against her sensitive peaks to draw shivers of wonton desire to run through her body, and hungry nips of his fangs that would bring her sweet blood to the surface for a second and allowing him to suck it greedily and hungrily into his being before the sting of her powers would surge up and force him away with low rumbles of deep appreciation; his hand began tracing down her body. She was arching against him, pressing herself up to bring more contact between their two heated forms, but with every thrust he would press against her firmly, holding her in place as he continued fueling the fires in her veins.

Kagome's breath came into her in a long hiss of unmatched pleasure when she felt his hand begin to travel lower across her stomach. She held it there, fighting against the hot, burning, painful pleasure of his mouth on her breast as she waited for him to finally come in contact with her throbbing, aching, needy core. Her whole body stilled in anticipation. She could feel every burning inch of her skin, every trembling muscle as it fought against the tight clenching of desire, every pulse of her heart sending out the hot lava of her ignited blood.

She waited.

But his motions had stilled. His body had become tense. The burning path of his touch and the searing heat of his mouth had been pulled back from her, robbing her of the ecstasy, stealing from her the soothing calm that had been taming the fires, tearing apart her dangling sanity as her body was stolen into an inferno of need that had her calling his name in a tiny whimper of desperation.

"Silence," the velvet of his voice wrapped around her clouded mind, silencing her protests but not her raging desires.

Kagome whimpered quietly as she brought her eyes up to find his, but when she looked upon his face, she saw that he was no longer looking at her. His sight had been set into the tree line at the outskirts of the clearing, and his head was tilted slightly to the side as his sensitive ears were picking up sounds she could never hope to decipher.

But though Kagome could not see or hear or smell the treat that was approaching, she sure as hell could feel it. Like a strong pulling against her very soul, only dark and corrupted with the most vile and wicked of taints; the pulse of the dark Shikon called out to her.

"No," she whispered in horror, "Not now."

But she should have known that the fates would not allow her to find her desperately needed release so easily, and her horrified suspicions were confirmed irrefutably when the sick, wicked, dark laughter of the vile hanyou reached her ears. She squeezed her eyes shut tightly, praying in the dark seclusion of her mind that the nightmare may pass. But no matter how much she may have wished to shut out the world, the dangerously deep vibrations shaking through Sesshomaru's chest and being conveyed through her heated flesh made such a thing impossible.

"So, Lord Sesshomaru," the thick liquid of his mocking voice rung out in the little clearing, sending a sickened shudder of unease to wash through the little miko's body, "It would seem that your father's preference for the touch of lowly mortals has corrupted you as well."

"Naraku," Sesshomaru's voice was so low and so filled with venomous loathing that the cowardly hanyou nearly faltered under the piercing golden stare that was promising him an excruciatingly painful death. Even though the demon Lord had yet to deem it a necessity to acknowledge the presence of the other with any motion from his current position draped over the trembling miko, his very presence was more than enough to bring the foul hanyou a healthy fear of his own demise. "Remove your filthy presence from my sights lest you find your miserable excuse for a life ended upon my blade on this day."

Again Naraku's sickening laughter filled the small clearing, but it was tight and forced as though he believed he could veil his fear of the powerful youkai behind the wicked sound. "It seems to me," the dark hanyou finally spit out, his amusement unveiled in his mocking tone, "That the sheathing of your sword is now the job of the miko whore."

That had been all Kagome could take. It was one thing for the filthy beast to interrupt her at the most unappreciated time, or for the wicked hanyou to be spitting out insults at both Sesshomaru and herself; but she would be damned if she was going to let that bastard mock the unrelenting burn of her body that had sealed her under its spell and demanded from her nothing but complete compliance to its carnal needs. He had no right to be judging her or to be making little of her needs when it was his sick and twisted desires that had brought so much suffering to the land.

The little miko's restraints all but gave out. Her power was called up around her in an explosion of untamed and wild fury. She pushed her hands roughly against Sesshomaru chest, demanding her freedom from where he had trapped her beneath him. His lips curled up in displeasure, but the burn of her pure powers was becoming painful in their wild dance, and since he had no intention of hurting the bitch until he could satiate his desire for her, he pulled back, allowing her the freedom to gain her feet.

Kagome pulled herself up quickly, setting herself firm in the face of her enemy.

Again Naraku cackled at her in his fiendish way, his dark eyes following the lush curves of her body as he looked upon her exposed flesh. "What a vision you are, miko," he purred, his liquid voice slipping over her, bringing such a feeling of repulsion she felt as though she had just been touched by the very hand of pestilence. "Perhaps I should rethink my desire to kill you, and instead make you a slave to my bed."

"YOU FUCKING BASTARD!!!" she roared as she began to focus the wild currents of energy whipping around her petite frame. "I'M GOING TO KILL YOU!!!"

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I think I'm twisted. No, I'm pretty sure that I'm twisted. Poor, poor Kagome, I bet she wishes she had never met me. Then again, I'm pretty sure that many of my readers are about ready to yell a sentiment similar to hers in my direction being that I have yet to produce any resolution to the tension of this piece. But, fortunately for me, none of you know where I live ;P So I can continue with this slow, agonizing torture for as long as my sick and twisted mind will continue being inspired to do so.

Mwahahahahaha

Kukukukukuku

Ahem….

Bye Bye

Shadow

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or have any claims over anything but for my terribly twisted imagination that so enjoys torturing these wonderful characters.


	13. Chapter 13

Naraku was not a stupid creature. In fact, he prided himself on his ability to manipulate situations to his will. He would always come out on top. Even with the treacherous miko whore, regardless of her current form, and her half-bred dog constantly playing against him, always was he one step ahead, always did he have another plan to fall back on, another route in which to secure the power that he deemed only worthy of himself.

He was determined to see the light of the Shikon in its full glory, burring with the dark fires of its true beauty. It would be his, all of it. And no one and nothing would stand in his way.

But he was no fool. The Taiyoukai dog had proved to be more of an obstacle than he had assumed. His attempt to take on the awesome power of the Inu and make it his own had failed, and now he was left with yet another adversary in the game. Such a failure was not looked upon fondly by the dark hanyou. It had been his desire to control the power of the Inu Lord, but now the dog had forced his hand to the point where he could no longer allow any of its interference. Sesshomaru, despite his power and his position, would not live to challenge him again, not when all of his plans had finally fallen into place.

Now though, he had been forced to expose himself much earlier than he had anticipated.

His minions had felt the burn of the Shikon miko's immense powers, and thusly he had sent more to investigate her raging release. When it had been revealed that the miko whore was offering her services to the dog, Naraku knew that a stop to their actions must ensue. The demon Lord was enough of a nuisance in his plans as it was, but if the miko of the Shikon were to find protection under the blade of the Taiyoukai, he knew that such a thing would prove most deleterious to his mission.

It was dangerous to expose himself to them now, he knew, but he could not leave off this encounter to one of his pathetic incarnations. Not even a golem would have been powerful enough for this encounter. And though he knew the threat posed to him by confronting both the Taiyoukai and the miko, their joining must have been prevented at all costs.

His barrier surged up around him as the crackling jolts of pure energy running in sharp waves from the little miko's body made their way closer to him. Her power was incredible, so thick it filled the air with its caressing pulse, bringing with it the vibrant flashing of light that warmed everything that it touched. Everything. Everything which, unfortunately, included the Shikon. The jewel reacted to her proximity and her tremendous release of power, its beautiful darkness being stripped away to be replaced by the hideous light.

Naraku hissed in fury when the stone started to burn against his flesh, but he would not be deterred.

"You foolish girl," he hissed out at the little miko. "Do you think that that dog will protect you? Do you think that you are safe under his claws once he has had his way with you?" His sick, wicked laughter filled the space of his barrier in a chilling echo. "Do you actually believe that a demon would love you?"

"You call me foolish?" Kagome questioned the beast in a dark voice as her lips pulled tightly into a bitter, hateful smile. "No, Naraku," she corrected him, "It is you who is the fool. You think that you can come here, impart your 'wisdom' to me, and expect that I would follow along in your wicked game? You think that I would ever, EVER listen to any of the vile words that spill from your lips?"

Her power surged around her wildly, lapping against her skin in heated waves of pure light. At her sides, her hands had been clenched tightly in rage, and the glow of her powers began to take form, to grow and build until every tiny twitch of her fingers would release a devastating jolt of power that lanced out like lightning in a wild bolt to search for that which it would destroy.

"Are you really so deluded," she continued as her hands slowly began to lift before her, "So caught up in the wicked games that you play and your wretched manipulations of others that you can not see what you have done here?"

Naraku, beginning to feel the precarious nature of his position as the miko's powers continued to grow and to lance out at him in wild bots, made the decision to end the miko's tirade before she could gather any more power to herself. His arm moved forward from his body, stretching outwards towards the miko without pause. As it moved, his demonic flesh contorted, twisting into deadly spines with which to impale the wretched miko upon.

But even as he reached across the distance between them, even though he moved at a speed that her mortal body could never have maneuvered around, he would never be able to touch her. The minute he had removed himself from the confines of his barrier, the pure power radiating from the miko began to consume his flesh, burning it away in searing agony and turning it to glittering ash.

Naraku howled in pain and pulled his severed arm back through the safeguard of his barrier. He hissed in fury at the miko, but his anger was only fueled to a new level when he found her smirking at him wickedly.

"I told you, you filthy scum," she spat out angrily. "I'm going to kill you. You can hide in your barrier all you like, but the longer you do, the longer I have to purify the darkness of the Shikon. You think that you can trap us in your game. You think that you can waltz out here and completely ruin my pleasure by trying to tell me that Sesshomaru would never love me. But you, Naraku, are a fool. Love…has nothing to do with this!"

Naraku's eyes widened in apprehension when he saw the miko's hand lifting towards him. In a defensive act, he thrust what remained of his severed arm through his barrier again, allowing the burn of her pure light to rip across his flesh, but causing the dark miasma to spew out from his body and creating a dark cloud of destruction to battle against the waves of radiant light.

Through the dark fog, though it was steadily being dispelled into glittering ash by the flowing wakes of her power, Kagome could no longer see the position of the dark hanyou. Still, that wasn't enough to stop her. She had been denied her pleasure for so long that she was actually finding a sick amount of satisfaction at being able to focus the raging fires in her veins into doing something. Even if she was not to find her release, making damn sure the vile, wretched, pathetic excuse for a hanyou would never again see the light of day was something that the miko would gladly have taken as her compensation for being so long denied.

Her hands lifter before her, sending scorching bolts of energy flying blindly into the mist of his miasma.

But her target had moved away from the deadly touch of her purity. Naraku had used the distraction of his miasma to make a momentary retreat from the girl, but when she had concentrated her powers to lance outwards where she had believed him to be, she had opened herself to an attack. He burst forward from his concealment, the long, deadly spikes of his distorted flesh reaching out to snatch the wench's pathetic existence at long last.

Kagome, however, would never feel the sting of his attack.

Before Naraku could come in contact with the miko, his reaching limbs were severed completely by the hissing blade Tokijin. Again the dark miasma spewed forth, covering the path of the wicked one in his retreat. But Sesshomaru could not be so easily fooled. He followed the path of the hanyou even through the heavy blanket of putrid poison that seeped out of the vile creature's body.

"Sesshomaru," Naraku's voice, cracked with pain and filled with hatred hissed out from behind the mist. "Why do you protect that wretched human? Do you so willingly betray your noble blood? Is your heart so weak that you would allow her conniving nature to blind you, to bend you to her will?"

"Foolish hanyou," Sesshomaru sneered as he tracked the voice through the mist. "It is she that is to be doing the bending, and my will that shall keep her there until she has provided what pleasures her mortal flesh will give me. But that you dare to interfere in the goings on of this Sesshomaru is a crime that shall be your death you vile wretch."

With that, Sesshomaru launched his attack at the dark hanyou. His form blurred as his path was cut through the poisonous mist, his movements so swift that no eye, be it human or youkai, would have been able to detect them. He reached the weakened barrier of his prey in less than a second, lashing out against the intruder with unstoppable currents of raw and devastating power being conducted through the fang in his grasp.

Under the force of his assault, Naraku's barrier cracked. With one more powerful thrust from the sword of the Taiyoukai, what remained of the barrier was shattered into nothingness, leaving the dark hanyou unprotected from the coming fury. He knew that he had been beaten. He knew that another strike from the powerful demon would spell his demise. But Naraku would not allow himself to fall when he was so close to attaining his goal.

He wrapped his being around the resonating power of the Shikon, drawing from it its glorious might. Though the jewel burned against him with the radiant light being absorbed into its recesses, there still remained enough of the darkness to sustain him. His form began to morph yet again, slipping from the confines of his demon flesh to blend in with the dark mist rising about him.

Sesshomaru's final blow would not come on this day.

Naraku cackled out his elation as his non-corporeal form lifted high into the sky. "Come," he beckoned to Sesshomaru, his voice coated with his own sick pleasure, "Follow me if you will, Sesshomaru. Let the miko die of the torturous fires you have ignited in her veins."

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AHHHH!!! Cliffy!

Do you think Sesshomaru could really leave Kagome there to die of her sexual frustrations? Come to think of it, is it possible to die of sexual frustrations? Well, she is a miko, and she is loosing the battle for control over her powers. I guess there's only one way to find out, eh? But do you really think that I would be so cruel?

Kukukukukukuku

Hmmmm…You know…when I was writing that scene, I kept picturing Sesshomaru fighting against Naraku with nothing on but the sword in his hand. Giggles madly I wonder if moving so fast and all if little Sesshomaru would look like a dog's tongue flapping wildly in the breeze as it sticks its head out of the window of a moving car?

Ok, I'm leaving now. Two chapters in one day deserves some happy time for dreams ;P

Cheers

Shadow

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or have any claims over anything but for my terribly twisted imagination that so enjoys torturing these wonderful characters.


	14. Chapter 14

Kagome heard Naraku's words to Sesshomaru and she saw the dangerous fires that overtook the Taiyoukai's eyes as he lifted his sights to the dark cloud escaping into the night's sky. Her body convulsed with the searing reminder that the vile hanyou's words could not have been more true. The fire in her blood, heated so fiercely to burn so feverously, had broken down every barrier within her. Her wild powers surged with uncontrollable waves of light, drawing from her being so much power that it had begun to feed on her very soul.

She could no longer contain it. She had no way to stop it. And when she had seen the red bleed into Sesshomaru's eyes and she knew it to be his fury, his hunger for the hunt, his primal need to see his prey brought down, she did the only thing she could do.

She laughed.

The light, mindless chimes of her laughter poured out of her. Her arms came up around her stomach, holding back against the shaking of her body as her laughter poured forth and the torturous throb of fires burning in her core. Tears split from her eyes, trailing hot paths down her cheeks in their flow. She gave up on the idea of standing, it was a ridiculously impossible task anyways, and she sunk to her knees.

When Sesshomaru turned towards her, the crimson fires in his eyes slipping away behind a slow draw of his eyelids and focusing on her again with molten gold, Kagome managed to still her laughter long enough to speak one last time.

"It's a little…cold out," she told him, her voice still trembling from the shaking of her body. Her arms came up to wrap protectively about her chest to emphasize her point as she continued, "Maybe you should…get dressed before…you chase after…him."

Sesshomaru lifted an eyebrow in curiosity as he looked upon the miko. She was trembling, but he knew that it had nothing to do with the chill of the night. And though he wasn't terribly impressed with the idea of fighting in such an unprepared state, he also knew that her mirth had nothing to do with his apparel, or lack there of. Tears were streaming down her face, tears shed for the agony that was pulsing through her body. The pure light surrounding her, the powers that had been her defense and her weapon against the dark one, were still burning hotly, unable to pause in their maddened dance; and they were taking her with them.

"What makes you think, miko," Sesshomaru asked as he stepped towards the crouching girl, facing down more of the waves of power radiating from her, "That this Sesshomaru would lower himself to chasing that wretched hanyou?" He stepped forward again, again pushing through the burning waves of energy that danced across his skin in searing bolts of pure power. A low growl started building in his chest over the painful sting of her wild powers, but still he restrained the dark fires within him. "Miko," his tone had grown hard, demanding compliance, "Cease this."

"I can't, you baka!" she exclaimed as another wave of hysteria stole her over, wracking her body with more painful laughter. "What…what do you care…anyways?" Her voice was broken by her delirium, and her hot tears still spilled freely to cut deep paths down her face. Her body was trembling so fiercely that even the hot fires running through her could not keep the chill on her skin from turning her deathly pale.

"This Sesshomaru cares not that your weak human fortitude can not withstand such power," he replied as he took yet another step towards her. He was right beside her, standing in the centre of the wild burn of her restless powers, and still he would not turn away. He was fighting against his own rising energies, sealing them behind leaden walls of restraint, refusing to allow the wild fires to add to her heat. "However, you still have a service to perform, and I shall not allow you to renege on such a debt."

"Still…thinking…with the wrong…head," she managed to choke out through her delirious mirth and the shaking of her petite form as it convulsed with wave after wave of untamed power. "It's…too late…for me." More tears fell from her eyes as she lifted them to him, but the heat of her energies was burning them away before they could fall to the ground. "Get away…while you can." When he still showed no sign of movement, a deep sob of confusion and frustration managed to break her maddened laughter, turning the mirthful sound to one of regret and remorse. "Please," she begged him to go, to save himself from the burn of the inferno that would soon tear forth from her being with no way to stop it.

"You would attempt to order this Sesshomaru even now, miko?" he asked her quietly as he knelt beside her. His tail wrapped around her shivering body gently, pulling her trembling form into the secure hold of the silken fur. The violent tremors running through the girl did not lessen in their severity as she fell willingly into his embrace, and with each new burning wave of her powers flowing across his entire body he was forced again to fight back against the rising of his own energies in challenge. But he would not make her fight against him when she could not even fight against herself. "Such weakness, human," though his words were hash, his tone was not, a soft drone of gentle warmth to wrap around her clouded mind. "You are not worthy of such powers."

"I…know," she choked out as another wave of mindless laughter broke out of her. Without thinking, she reached out to him, wrapping her arms around the strength of his body in need. She didn't want him there, she didn't want to expose him to the pain of the fires, she didn't want for him to see her this way, so weak that she could not control the powers given to her by a curse of fate; but she could not help herself. She needed to know that she wasn't alone when she could feel the end so near. She needed to feel one last time the power that he had over her, the soothing wash against the hot fires that only his touch could bring.

"I…think…" she whispered quietly against him as her body began to stiffen. Her eyes closed against the coming of the inevitable, drawing the last of her tears to fall upon his skin. "…That I could…have loved you."

"No, priestess," he corrected as his hand came to rest on the heated skin of her thigh. He followed along the inviting curves, his fingers trailing hot paths once again along the smoothness of her skin as he pushed away the final barrier of her garments. Here the heat pulsed the strongest; here the burn of her power was the hottest. He could feel it in the sting of purity against his skin and in the slick moisture under his fingers. Even now, when she had been all but lost to the fires, when her body had grown rigid against the ferocity of the coming storm, he could still draw out slight tremors from her with light rakings of his claws against her flesh. His sight traveled once more to her face, watching as she drew in weak, uneven breaths through her parted lips that were now touched with the cold, blue and trembling lightly. He leaned into her, the heat of his mouth brushing over her skin once more as he made his way to her ear. "Love…" he whispered to her quietly, fighting to keep his voice from taking on the dark undertones of the beast that trashed wildly within, demanding its freedom. "Has nothing to do with this."

She whimpered quietly against him as his words broke through the madness of her torment, but hearing such from the little female and feeling the way she used what little strength she had to cling to him, was enough to let the beast break free of its restraints. Crimson waves bleed into his vision once more, and all around him rose up the hot fires of his spirit to crash against hers in a chaotic dance of hungry power. He pulled her close, pressing her against himself tightly, allowing his strength to be hers as he claimed her lips, at the same time thrusting his fingers deeply and forcefully into the burning heat of her core.

Her scream was consumed by the actions of his mouth against hers, the beast hungry for her pain and her pleasure. All around her the searing light of her spirit ignited the darkness, crashing wildly against the dark fires that held her stilled. The light was blinding, the power it carried immense. It continued building, fueling towards its ultimate cadence. When it came, as it was inevitable that it would, the magnitude of the blast shook the very foundations of the land. It spread out in a sweeping wave of white light, consuming everything in its brilliance, wrapping its warmth even around the chill of the night.

Never before had he felt such pain, never had his body been subjected to such heat, to such pure and raw power. The fires of his spirit surged wildly around him, fighting fiercely against the burning caress of the light. Such power! It took every ounce of his strength, every part of his will, to continue fighting, to keep holding the madness of the light from consuming him.

But even then, even when the very heart of his power rose up in challenge, he could feel the wash of judgment as the light passed over him.

His head lifted to the sky to howl out his fury. Even in her death she had held back from him. Even as the last of her power had been stolen from her to fuel the building light, she had stayed its fury with her gentle hand. Even when she had nothing left, no fight to save herself; even then she had reached out to him, called from a place free of the bindings of her flesh to keep from him the touch of purity.

She had stolen from him the chance to face against her strength, but it had not been for fear that he would not win. She had calmed the burn of the light because in her heart she could not pass on knowing that it had been for her that he would stand against it. And it was with this knowledge, that she held for him no contempt but only love, that she had left with him as she departed from this world to the one beyond.

And it was this knowledge that left him wanting for more than her touch could give him, for more than the promise she had left unfulfilled.

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HAHA! And now I get to make a special note for readers on FFN. I posted this story on A Single Spark initially due to its perceived sexual content; however, being that there never really was any actual sexual intercourse, I figured I would be safe with the slightly lower rating level of the FFN site.

This ending did not go over so well with ASS (lol ass) readers, and I can completely understand why. It is troubling, disturbing; a tease of all teases. It seems unfinished. It leaves you wanting. It completely alters the mood and flow of the story and leaves you wondering just what the hell Shadow was thinking. Would you like to know?

When I asked the question of whether or not it was possible for Kagome to die of her sexual frustrations, I got to thinking…and that, dear readers, is a dangerous thing. Why? Because the answer in my imagination is that anything is possible. So, yes, Kagome could die of something so simple as loosing herself in sensation, giving herself over to her hungry desires.

But don't think I didn't consider you readers in all of this. I asked myself for a long time if I were reading such a thing, what my reaction would be. I would be in shock, I would think, with maybe a little twinge of sadness for the death being written. But then would come the anger. Why would it end like that? What a shitty, shitty ending! And then I would grumble about it for a while, how unfair that I spent so much time reading with but one expectation without ever being satisfied.

Well, life's a bitch eh?

LOL and THIS reaction, I believe, was why I wanted to write it. Because to cause any emotion in the reader is a good thing, and since, as humans, we are capable of empathy towards others and can transfer such to even the characters we read about. But to experience the emotions yourself because of what was written….is beautiful….no matter how ugly the feeling. Besides, I'm a sucker for angst ;P

However, if it will help to keep from my door the hoards of torch bearing, pitchfork wielding, readers who have been left wanting; I do have an idea of how to continue this piece. BUT I'm afraid that a continuation will have to wait for a bit. My itch has been scratched, and the hentai within has been appeased for the moment…though, of course, left wanting more.

So, for the time being at least, I'm off to other adventures.

Cheers

Shadow


	15. Chapter 15

"Kikyo." Her name slipped from his lips in an awed whisper.

Under the soft light of the moon, her unnatural form glowed with a supernatural radiance; but that light was flawed, stolen from the souls of the dead denied their rest. Around her, slipping like serpents through the air, the lithe bodies of her soul stealers wound their way possessively around their mistress.

She turned to him, her dark eyes hiding even darker secrets behind a mask of perfect porcelain skin, her beauty betraying the darkness of her heart.

"Inuyasha," she called to him. "You betray me."

"Never." He denied her accusation, his heart knowing it would always love her no matter her sins, no matter her form. He moved forward, his steps slow and shaky; almost as though he were in a trance. "Kikyo." Again he called her name, a plea for her to understand, to forgive.

"You do not want me anymore."

Her words cut through him like a hot blade, but one which would never seal the wound when removed. "You're wrong." He denied it, tried to make her see the sincerity in his eyes and in his heart. "I will always love you, Kikyo. Only you."

"Would you prove it to me?" she asked him, her voice cold as her dead body.

"Anything." He was desperate to make her see.

"Then show me," she told him as she shifted, bring her hands up to part her clothing.

The thick material fell from her shoulders, revealing her flawless, milky skin and her perfectly formed breasts. Allowing one hand to travel down her body in a light caress, she watched raptly as he fell further under her spell, as his body began to react to her siren call. She took hold of the ties fastening the remaining layer of cloth to her, loosening it with one quick motion until it too fell away. Stepping free of her clothing, she stood before him bare of all disguises, of all barriers. The soft light reflecting from her perfectly formed body of clay and ash made her seem an angel to his eyes, though this disguise was one that could never be removed.

Lifting her arms towards him, she beckoned him closer. "Show me you still desire me," she told him. "Let it be my body that gives you pleasure."

Not able to stop himself, Inuyasha moved closer to her. His hands trembled as he reached out to her, but not in fear. Somewhere in his mind he could tell that this was wrong, somewhere there was a voice calling to him, telling him that he must stop, that he mustn't listen. But he couldn't stop; he had fallen under her spell.

He took her in his arms, pulling her willing body against his. She was so cold. No heat came from her clay body, no pulse of liquid fire through her veins. It was like holding cold marble, unyielding, unforgiving, something not of flesh, not of feeling. But she was still Kikyo, something whispered in his mind. This was the woman he loved; he could not turn her away for what she was.

Pushing away the feelings of uncertainty, Inuyasha closed his mouth over hers. She moaned softly and pressed herself into him, responding to his kiss with hunger. He was almost shocked into pulling away when the taste of her assaulted him. Like dirt and ash, like something dead, and an unsettling, almost frightening, feeling of a soul crying. But she wouldn't let him leave her embrace. She wrapped her arms around him, tangling her delicate hands in his hair and pressing his mouth more firmly against his.

And he loved her, he knew it. He could look past what she was and what she had done; forgive her as he had failed to do so long ago. He wouldn't abandon her again. He gave himself over to her, replying to her hungered kiss with his own, always telling himself who she was and how much he loved her.

Feeling him respond to her in the way she wanted, Kikyo pressed against him again, using the curves of her body to entice his into heating with his arousal. Her hands slipped out of his hair, finding their way into the folds of his garments and pulling them away. With a moan forced from her lips, she trailed her fingers down the fine shaping of his muscled chest, loving the way he trembled beneath her touch.

She felt him stiffen against her when she reached the ties holding his pants, but she would not allow him to pull away from her. She captured one of his hands, guiding it towards the lush mound of her breast. She prompted him into maneuvering it, pressing together with him against the flesh, moaning and sighing as should have been her response, edging him onwards, luring him deeper and deeper into the weave of the spell.

When he had taken to his own exploration of her, she went back to her task, releasing the ties quickly and pushing his pants off of his hips. She pulled him away, taking him back from the safety of his conscience, from the net holding his fires at bay.

Knowing there would no longer be any hindrance to her plans, Kikyo willed the spiritual energies left in her control by the living miko to burst forth. They surrounded them both in flashing waves of radiant light, the purity burning against the demon in her arms. He pulled back from her to howl out his pain and fury, and she smiled wickedly. Her plan was working.

When he looked back to her, his eyes were no longer the captivating amber of the hanyou boy, but the crimson fires of the beast. In the mind of the beast there was no thought or will or care, only the drive. And the female before him was his, was offering herself to him; and he would take her. With a rumbling growl of conquest shaking through his chest, he threw the bitch to the ground.

She didn't cry out, didn't even flinch when her body slammed against the dirt. After all, she was made of dirt as well, her bones nothing but ash, her body fueled by the souls of the dead. She didn't feel, didn't experience pain. She knew only the darkness that sustained her heart, and that wanted only revenge. And as the beast stalked towards her, his mind wiped of everything that had made him, she knew she would have it.

He dropped to his hands and knees as he pulled closer to her, stalking towards her as he would stalk his prey. When he reached her, he growled fiercely, his eyes flashing with the dangerous fires.

Knowing what he was demanding of her, Kikyo rolled herself over, lifting herself on her knees and exposing her sex to him. In only second the beast was on her, pressing himself into her mercilessly, not caring that there was no heat to her flesh and no muscles to give him pleasure. He rode her like an animal, his claws tearing into her without care, snarling and grunting in low vibrations.

She let him take her; let him ravage her body as he pleased. It didn't matter anyways. With the beast distracted with its rut and the mind of the boy locked behind the fires, the dead one began chanting her spell. Beneath them, the ground began to grow heavy, breaking and cracking beneath the impossible weight.

Locked together, they began to descend.

But before the spell could be completed, before the portal could be opened, Kikyo felt her body wash with warmth, felt herself be filled with impossible power. The beast felt it too, and it responded to it, slamming into her body of clay with more force, crashing his hips against her to bury himself deeper and deeper into the heat.

Throwing her head back, the dead one screamed out her victory. The living miko had died; her soul now possessed by the one she had given this false life. Kikyo had won, and her dark heart rejoiced with the knowledge that once her spell had been completed she would be dragging both her once-lover and her hated reincarnation to the hell in which they belonged.

Only moments and their time would come. Only moments and her victory would be complete.

Deeper and deeper they sank, always closer to the fires below. The beast joined with her knew nothing of what was happening. Too lost in the fires, too gone with the savage drive to satiate its lust and desires, it remained oblivious, continuing to slam itself into her body and gain pleasure for the heat of the one it considered friend and love who was now dead.

When at last the moment came, when the portal was finally ready to be opened, Kikyo looked back over her shoulder, wanting to see one last time the face of the one she had condemned, wanting to burn this memory into her mind to sustain her in the endless burn of the hell-fires below.

But her eyes did not fall on the image of the hanyou boy she had once loved, nor did she see the beast she had turned him into. Her eyes widening in disbelief and horror, she had only the time to scream before her voice was silenced forever.

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I just felt a need to continue with this. I was having issues thinking up ideas for some of my other stories; so, I figured, why not write a story that didn't really have a plot in the first place. If it doesn't get my creative juices going, well, then at least I'll be able to give my hentai muse a good scratch ;P

Later

Shadow


	16. Chapter 16

Glinting like white fire under the light of the moon, Tensaiga cut its path swift and true. Its power over the dead and its compassion for the living, allowed the Sword of Heaven to pass straight through the body of the mindless Inuyasha, and become embedded directly in the dark heart of the living dead.

Kikyo screamed out her horror and her fury, but she could do nothing to prevent her fate. The souls of the dead that sustained her body were liberated by the magic of Heaven's blade; and her false body, made of death and earth, collapsed under the force of the blow. Her magics stripped from her, she could do nothing to repair the damage, nothing to hold together her stolen life.

Sesshomaru watched her life be stripped away. His features remained impassive, uncaring; but in his eyes burned his resentment and loathing towards the dead miko. It had been she that had caused the living miko's suffering, she that had made it impossible for her to control her powers, and she that had stolen away her spirit so that even Tenseiga could not call it back.

And adding to her sins, the corpse had tried to take a life that was his. He had warned her that Inuyasha was not to be touched by her dead hands, and in defying him she had earned her death. But in this he found no satisfaction. It was not for Inuyasha that he had slain the wench. It was not the hanyou's life he had come to retrieve.

Seeing the dead one collapse, the final soul being pulled from her body of clay and the false form beginning to disintegrate, Sesshomaru pulled back his blade. Paying no heed to the hanyou who collapsed in unconsciousness over the broken form of his dead lover, Sesshomaru moved to where he had deposited the body of the miko whose soul he had retrieved.

He looked down at her, at her pale skin stripped of the warmth of her life-blood; at her flowing curtain of midnight hair sprawled carelessly around her tiny frame now dulled of it sheen; and finally at her face, her features set in her eternal slumber, peaceful, at rest.

But now was not her time. He would not allow it.

Lifting the blade of Tensaiga, Sesshomaru called its power to his will. His eyes hooded, heavy with magic as his vision shifted, revealing a world beyond where they stood, a plane of existence more than what is seen to the eyes. The blade pulsed with a warming surge, traveling through his body and filling him with its strength. He began to see them, the creatures from the world beyond hovering around the miko's body, stealing away what little will for life was left in her empty shell, trying to harness the drifting soul that had returned to her after being freed from the imprisonment cast upon it by the living dead.

With a sweep of his blade, Sesshomaru dispatched the creatures, leaving the path clear for the soul to return. He watched as it began to flow into her body. It was so massive, so brilliant in its light and radiance, that even though it had no form he could feel its gentle caressing warmth as it brushed past him.

He waited.

- - - - - - - - - - -

It was dark.

She didn't like the dark. She didn't know why, but she knew she didn't like it. There should have been something more. She couldn't remember what, couldn't remember why; but she knew there should have been something.

What was it? She couldn't remember. Who was she? She didn't know. Why was she in the dark? It didn't matter, because the dark was all there was.

She felt trapped, but she was nowhere. Something told her she could fight, she should fight. But how would she fight and what would she fight against? There was only the dark.

She felt sorrow, but she didn't know for what. Did she even have a heart to feel? If she did, it was breaking. So sad, so filled with hurt. She could feel that, but it wasn't her. So angry, so dark, so filled with hatred. She knew these things, but it was not her knowledge.

It was confusing. Was death supposed to be like this? Was she dead? Is that what had happened? But no, something had gone wrong. Where was her family? Did she have a family? Was she loved? Did she love?

'_Who am I? Where am I? Can't someone help me? I don't want to be alone.'_

A pulse.

She remembered fighting, remembered something worth fighting for.

A surge.

She remembered pain, remembered a body of flesh and a heart that had been broken.

A beat.

She remembered passion, remembered strong hands that washed away her pain.

A breath.

She remembered life, remembered her life.

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Her eyes opening slowly, the first image Kagome saw of her new life was that of the Angel of Death.

He stood above her, his long mane of silver hair lifting on the gentle breezes of he night, his pale skin making him seem a ghost but allowing the dark line of crimson streaking his face to stand out so vividly they seemed a fire in the dark, and his eyes, so fierce in their piercing gaze, looked down on her so intently she felt as though he could see through to her very soul.

Something was different about him, she realized in her groggy awakening. Her brows drawing together in slight confusion, she tried to place what it was. When she finally did realize what was misplaced, or, more specifically, replaced; she sighed.

Did he have any idea how hard it was to get him OUT of his clothes in the first place?

A soft brushing of cool night against her skin had the young miko shivering. She brought her arms up to cover herself, but the brush of skin on skin caused a slight scowl to form on her lips. Why was it he thought to dress himself, but figured it was alright to leave her exposed to the world? Sighing again, figuring it was likely pointless to inform his frigidness of her current state, since, obviously, he was completely aware of it; Kagome turned her attention back to Sesshomaru.

"So…" she started hesitantly, "What…happened?"

"You died," he stated matter-of-factly.

Shocked, though not quite certain whether she was more shocked at the fact that she had died or the fact that Sesshomaru had actually brought her back, and silently congratulating Sesshomaru on being able to be a frigid ass in absolutely every situation by not even bothering at all to sugar-coat something as traumatic as death for her benefit; Kagome took a moment to process her thoughts.

But there was one question that kept coming back to her. "Why did you save me?"

Tilting his head slightly as he debated whether or not to answer her question, Sesshomaru finally decided on an acceptable response. "You still have a service to perform for this Sesshomaru."

"Oh," she whispered, somehow having expected that answer, but somehow wishing it had been something different. But as he continued staring at her, the intensity burning in his golden eyes began to affect her. A light pink blush rose on her cheeks. "You…you don't mean now, do you?" she asked, her voice squeaking slightly in embarrassment and nervousness.

The way his eyes darkened, the golden surfaces washing with deep amber as his eyes hooded with lust, and the slight parting of his lips as they lifted in a dangerous smirk gave Kagome all the answer she needed. Yes, he did mean now, and right now. Apparently, Sesshomaru was very impatient when he desired something. But the thought that it was her that he desired, caused a slight tremor to pulse through her body as she remembered the way his touch felt, the way he could make her blood boil with only a touch but at the same time sooth against the raging of the fires.

She could feel the heat rising in her again, but it was different this time somehow. She couldn't quite place it, but she knew that something of significance had happened to her in the time she couldn't remember.

But such thoughts were distant as desire began to cloud her vision once again. Slowly, she began to pull herself up, timid and uncertain on limbs that only moments before had been empty of life. Finally gaining her feet, she smiled timidly at him. Her arms were still wrapped around her chest to cradle her modesty as she stepped slowly towards him, but now, being so exposed under his piercing gaze, when the fires of lust and desire were no longer ruling her every thought and every action; she hesitated.

Sesshomaru saw her hesitation, and he didn't like it. The bitch was so bold before, so fearless, so demanding. He wanted her innocence, her virginal awe and confusion; but not this. He reached out to her, taking hold of her arm and pulling her roughly against him. Her startled cry was swallowed when his lips crashed down onto hers in a demanding, controlling, dominating kiss.

At first she held herself stiff against him, not wanting to give in, not willing to go through with what he wanted. But when she felt the vibrations stirring in his chest signaling his displeasure, she couldn't help the slight gasp that escaped her as her body reacted to him again.

Using her reaction to his advantage, Sesshomaru plunged his tongue into the hot cavern of her mouth, savoring the sweet spices of her with every motion, and pulling from her a long moan of pleasure as she at last abandoned her reservations to join with him in the dance.

Loosing herself once again in sensation, Kagome marveled at the way her body was reacting. She could feel the heat of the fires of desire growing, feel the want and lust and need that built with every beat of her heart; but she could control it, could take pleasure in what she was feeling but not need to fight against the fury. It was as though a part of her that had been missing had been returned, as though some strength she had been denied was once again under her control.

Wanting more, she became bold again in her actions. Lifting her arms, she wrapped them around his neck and pulled him closer, deepening the kiss, feeling more of his body pressing against hers. She moaned deeply when her actions caused a low growl of appreciation to rumble through the Inu's chest, the vibrations coursing through her in waves of pleasure, a pleasure magnified as he too responded and pressed himself against her, allowing her to feel the hard pressing of his renewed arousal against her heating core through the soft fabric of her forgotten skirt.

"NOOOO!!!!!"

The desperate, frantic cry from nearby startled Kagome. She pulled back from Sesshomaru, her eyes widening and her breath catching as she placed the voice of the one crying out in pain.

"Inuyasha."

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Ok, I need to whine about this. Tenseiga is dying! It's just so wrong! I almost cried when I read that Sesshomaru was going to sacrifice Tenseiga to make Tetsusaiga complete. It's just so unfair that InuPapa would do that! -Whines- I mean, I get the idea that once Sesshomaru gives up Tenseiga that he'll have gained the same level of power of his father (ok, so the magna said 'surpass' but really, InuPapa was uber powerful and I think Sess has a way to go until that's going to happen). But Tensaiga is dying! -Cries again- it's so…so…WRONG! That sword is my favorite prop EVER in ANY medium, and the thought of Baka Yasha getting his grubby hands on it is disturbing on soooo many levels. -Sniffles- ok, my rant is over, but I just needed to get that out.

Laters

Shadow


	17. Chapter 17

When Sesshomaru heard the whelp's cry he nearly scowled. Why couldn't the worthless hanyou simply have stayed unconscious? He had saved his life, was it too much to ask that the wretched half-breed keep his meddling nose out of his business until he had had his fill of the whelp's miko?

Apparently it was. Damn.

Suppressing a sigh of aggravation, Sesshomaru reached to his sash and produced the miko's shirt. He hadn't forgotten her items, they were of particular importance to him in, what he had hoped to be, the very near future; but he just hadn't seen the point of dressing her considering he only wanted her out of her clothing not in them, and then, of course, there was the slight fact that he had detected the rising of dark magic on the air and realized that if he wanted to retrieve the miko's soul from the walking dead that speed was going to be of the essence.

So he had simply gathered her items along with the girl's lifeless body and left to hunt down the dead one. It was annoying, but then, the girl had always been a nuisance. Now though, knowing of Naraku's interest in the girl, Sesshomaru wasn't about to let her body be left unguarded before he could retrieve her to her more desirable state; with the liquid fire of her blood running through her veins to sing to him of its thick, coursing melody of lust and desire, of passion and fire. It was just an added bonus that he wouldn't have to go very far once her soul had been retrieved to get back to what they had been doing.

He supposed he should have been slightly bothered that his goal for this particular mortal was so singular, especially since it had nothing to do with spilling her blood…well, he did plan on spilling her blood, but only to taste the sweet spices of it as it burned against his tongue and to feel the lingering sting of magic as her powers surged up around her to heal the damage. The sensations she produced for him were incredible, and addictive. He couldn't get enough, and he wasn't about to let her go until he had had all of what she could give to him.

Kagome received the offered clothing with a slight blush and a mumbled 'Thank you', but as she dressed, she couldn't help but wonder just what else of hers Sesshomaru had stashed away. Her blush deepening when she realized her 'service' to him couldn't be complete without the necessary 'item' that had gotten her into this mess in the first place, Kagome hastened to secure the straps of her blouse as best she could. Some things she did NOT need to be thinking about when she met up with Inuyasha.

Once dressed, the young miko cast a questioning look to Sesshomaru, silently asking him where to go to reach her friend. She saw the way his eyes narrowed in displeasure, but the look lasted for only a moment before he turned and started walking through the woods. Kagome followed him, still a little disoriented in the fact that where she was was not where she had started, but, throwing her confusion to the winds to focus on the task at hand, she padded behind him in silence.

When they reached the clearing where Inuyasha was, Sesshomaru took a moment to assess the hanyou's state. Once certain his mindless state had passed and he posed no threat to the miko, he stepped aside and allowed her passage towards him.

Kagome walked slowly towards her distraught friend. She could only see his back, which, she noted absently, was completely bare and would have been giving her a fabulous view of his rippling muscles were it not for his long mane of silver hair that tumbled down his back in a messy tangle of dirt and dried leaves. His shoulders were heaving as he crouched in a deep crater, and by the way he was positioned, she could tell that he was holding something.

As she drew nearer, Kagome began to make out the dark strands of hair the spilled on the ground to one side of Inuyasha. She gasped softly, knowing the hanyou would never hold another as he was if it wasn't his Kikyo.

"I don't remember." He spoke to her without turning to face her, his voice thick with pain and choked with the heaving of his shoulders. "I woke up and…" Trailing off, unable to finish, the hanyou sobbed brokenly.

"Inuyasha," Kagome called out softly. "It'll be ok."

"NO!" he roared as he spun to face her, revealing the tears that streamed down his face. "It won't be ok! I did this to her! I…I…"

"Silence yourself, Inuyasha." Sesshomaru's cold tone cut through the hanyou's grief-stricken tirade. He stepped forward, setting his contemptuous glare on the broken boy. "How pathetic," he scoffed, "that you would allow yourself to be consumed by these weak, human emotions."

"Leave me alone, you bastard," Inuyasha hissed, though lacking the strength or will to back up his words.

"Do you not even realize," Sesshomaru asked, completely unbothered by the hanyou's words or venomous tone, "that the dead one has tried to kill you yet again? You sit in the remnants of her portal to hell, and yet you cling to that broken shell as though it were something worth cherishing."

"What the hell do you know?!" Inuyasha yelled in fury at the impassive Lord. "You're nothing but a cold-hearted bastard!"

Lifting an elegant eyebrow at the insult, Sesshomaru silently cursed the hanyou yet again for his annoying fortitude. He could have defiantly gone his entire existence without being forced to witness such a disgusting display from the whelp. He turned away from the boy, giving him one last piece of knowledge before he left him to his misery. "I know, little brother, that the distinct pleasure of ripping the stolen life from that body of clay belongs to this Sesshomaru."

It took a moment for Sesshomaru's words to register in Inuyasha's grief-stricken mind, but when they did, when he realized that Sesshomaru was telling him it had been he that had killed his beloved Kikyo, Inuyasha's vision bled red in fury. He lunged forward at his brother, heedless of his state or of anything beyond the knowledge that he wanted to skin that bastard alive for killing his love.

"SIITTT!!!"

Though having closed her eyes to prevent herself from gaining a full and uninhibited view of Inuyasha as he flew through the air towards his brother, Kagome wasn't about to let a fight break out now. Inuyasha was in no condition to be fighting, and besides, she had already witnessed her quota for naked battles for the day. It seemed to her, in an errant thought that was strangely fitting considering her mission for this particular day, that the Hentai God, if there was such a thing, must have been absolutely rolling with laughter at her and her friends' expenses.

Cracking open one of her eyes to make sure she wasn't going to be greeted with a full Monty, Kagome breathed a sigh of relief when she saw that her subjugation spell had worked to its full potential, burying Inuyasha in a crater shaped by his body and, more importantly, stirring up enough dirt and debris to somewhat cover his naked form.

With a quick look around, Kagome found Inuyasha's discarded clothing. She picked up his haori and moved over to him, her features softening in concern when she heard that his angry growls were interspaced with distressed whimpers.

"Inuyasha," she called his name softly as she covered him with the fire rat cloth. "I know you're hurting, but Sesshomaru saved you. He saved us both. I…I know you don't want to hear anything bad about her, but she wasn't herself, she wasn't Kikyo. Her spirit moved on long ago. All that was left was the hatred. You know that, don't you?"

Setting her hand softly on his shoulder, Kagome could feel the anguished heaving as he tried to fight against his tears. The spell wasn't holding him anymore, but he hadn't the strength to push away from the ground. She felt so bad for him. She knew how much he had loved Kikyo. But at the same time, she knew that he needed this, needed the time to mourn her death properly. He had never been given this opportunity before; that was why he so willingly accepted the clay body formed in the image of the dead as the woman he had once loved. But now, not even that was left, and Inuyasha was being forced to face the reality of her death.

Trying to give him comfort as best she could, Kagome continued running her hand along his back in soothing motions, letting him know he wasn't alone, giving him her silent support. Slowly, the heaving of his shoulders began to calm, and his breathing began to even out.

Thinking he was getting better, Kagome was shocked when he suddenly released a ripping snarl and pushed himself to his knees. Not knowing what was going on, she stretched out her senses around her. The answer came to her in the feeling of two Shikon shards moving swiftly in their direction just before the twisting tornado of winds and dust burst into the clearing.

Inuyasha growled lowly and jumped to his feet. "What the fuck do you think you're doing here you mangy wolf," he barked out. "I don't remember inviting your flea-bitten ass to this party."

Kouga, smug as ever, simply stood his ground, his arms crossed carelessly over his chest. Though, and Kagome couldn't help but notice with a slight bit of disappointment, he had finally found himself some clothes. But with her newfound knowledge, she had also noticed the way his eyes were slightly wider than normal and the way his lips were lifting in a completely non-innocent grin as he looked back at Inuyasha who had jumped up in such a haste to confront the wolf that he had forgotten he was only covered by a loose hanging jacket which lay open down his midsection and only fell to his hips.

"I just came to check on my woman," the wolf informed the fuming hanyou smugly. "I wanted to make sure you weren't taking advantage of her. Though," he drawled out slowly as his eyes skirted to catch a quick glimpse of Sesshomaru standing back against the line of trees, "It seems I won't have to be worrying about her. You though," he smirked wickedly as he turned his attention back to Inuyasha. "You seem to be in need of a lesson or two on how to dress properly. I could help you with that, you know."

"Why you," the hanyou fumed as he extended his claws. "I'm gonna make you eat your words!"

And with that, Inuyasha lunged towards the wolf. Kouga, fast and agile as ever, evaded the attack easily. "You can do better than that Inu-baka," he called over his shoulder. "At this rate you're not going to tire me out before dawn."

"Get back here you mangy wolf!" Inuyasha howled as he took off into the trees in pursuit.

Kagome could only manage to stare at the spot where the two had vanished from. It was…good that Inuyasha wasn't stuck wallowing in his self-pity and remorse over his loss, but there was just something about the way the wolf had been looking at him that was…disturbing.

She turned to look at Sesshomaru. "You don't think…"

"I do not want to," he replied quickly, knowing where her question was going and not wishing to even acknowledge such a possibility.

Shaking off the disturbing feeling left by the scene between Inuyasha and the wolf, Sesshomaru turned his attention to matters that held more interest for him, not to mention far more pleasure. He stepped closer to the little miko, smirking at the light pink blush that rose on her cheeks when she realized that she had been left alone with him again.

"Come now, miko," he called to her, his velvety voice carrying the slightest hint of his amusement at her reactions. "I believe we should retire to a more suitable location in order to finalize our agreement."

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Hehe, poor Yashie. I just couldn't help myself XD. Well, between him and Kouga, one of them needs to get put in their place…though I'm not all that sure which one….ahem…yeah and I don't plan on finding out either. That one gets left to your imagination. It was bad enough that I wrote a lemon between Yashie and Kikyo.

Well now, it looks like the finale of this piece is FINALLY on its way huh? It must be, because I don't think I could think up another interruption if I tried. Well, I probably could if I tried, I am quite evil if I put my mind to it ;P But I think that I should give Kags a little break after everything I've put her through. And Sesshomaru needs to get a little too. Maybe it'll loosen him up a bit…a bit, I'm not really expecting all that much. He really is such a stiff.

Well, I'm off for now.

Laters

Shadow


	18. Chapter 18

'_He's laughing at me again,'_ Kagome thought in annoyance, her eyes narrowing marginally and her lips pursing to prevent herself from scowling.

Well, he wasn't exactly laughing, since he never really laughed…except for that one time when he had been laughing at her expense…again. But though he wasn't really making any of the motions associated with a laugh, Kagome could tell that he was with just the sound of his voice and the way it was conveyed with less ice and more annoyingly smug superiority.

'_Jerk,'_ her mind hissed at him. _'What was I thinking trying to get it on with him? Oh right, I wasn't! Still…'_ she allowed her vision to slip over him again, her mind more than happy to supply her with vivid images of what exactly was buried under the thick covering of his armor and the soft silk of his garments. Oh yeah, he was definitely fuckable.

Once, just once, she wanted to know what it was like. Sure, there were some that would look down at her for being so forward or for giving herself to someone who was all but a stranger to her, but for those people the young miko had only one thing to say: when was the last time they had saved the world? Now she, she probably couldn't even count the number of times she had done it on her fingers and toes. Hell, she could have added in Sesshomaru's fingers and toes, and thrown in his extra appendage just for good measure, and she still wouldn't have gotten to a high enough number.

And, since saving the world wasn't exactly a very high paying job, especially in a time 500 years removed from her own, Kagome figured she deserved some sort of return for all her hard work. Besides, she had already died once, which in itself was rather disturbing, and considering the life she lived there was no guarantee that she wouldn't do so again, and stay that way; she was hell-bound and determined to make sure that she wasn't going to go out a virgin…again.

So, what is one to do with a powerful, dangerous, gorgeous, sexy, and completely fuckable Taiyoukai that had made his interest in seeing you writhe beneath him abundantly clear? Why, the little miko decided, you tease him until he's damn near at his breaking point, and then ride the wave of ecstasy in the aftermath. Poor planning, you say? Well, perhaps, but then, Kagome was pretty sure that Sesshomaru hadn't gone through all the trouble of bringing her back to life just so he could kill her again without receiving some sort of satisfaction. And, since his satisfaction also meant her own, Kagome was quite looking forward to, as he said, finalizing their agreement.

She knew that this time would be different. She had already felt the change in herself, in her powers. There was no longer the lacking control that had allowed them to overtake her earlier. With Kikyo's long overdue departure from the false life she had been given, Kagome had been reunited with that portion of her spirit that had been held captive by the dead one. With that part of her returned, her powers were flowing strong within her, and, more importantly, they were responding to her every command rather than reacting on impulses and instinct.

But then again, instinct did come in so handy at times.

Sesshomaru watched as the miko's embarrassed blush began to fade away behind the wicked smile that was rising on her lips. Her eyes had darkened, deep cobalt glinting with mischief under the soft light of the stars. What was she planning? He didn't know, but he was all but certain he was going to enjoy it.

"Ever play fetch, boy?" the miko asked as she lifted her hand in front of her and willed it to become enveloped in the surging blue light of her radiant power. "Well," she drawled out as she lifted her other hand, it too being surrounded by the radiant glow, "If you want me, come and get me."

Giving the Inu a playful wink, the little miko let her powers surge outwards towards him. The impact of the blast hit him hard, knocking him backwards and forcing him to dig his heels into the ground to stop himself from falling. Needless to say, that had not been what he had been expecting.

Growling deeply, his eyes bleeding crimson, Sesshomaru looked back to where the miko had last stood, but only to find that she was no longer there. She had used her burst of power as a distraction and taken off running into the woods. _'Feisty little bitch, that one,'_ he thought as his low growl began to shift from one of anger to one of anticipation. His eyes flashed dangerously as his lips parted into a feral grin.

Let the hunt commence.

Kagome giggled wildly to herself as she dashed away from Sesshomaru. She knew she didn't have a chance in hell of outrunning him, but then, she didn't really want to outrun him, only drive him back to the fires that she had seen burning in his eyes earlier. Of course, there was a part of her that was screaming out that she was completely insane for having attacked Sesshomaru the way she had, but the funloving part of her, the part that was getting the best kick of her life out of this little chase, tied that annoyingly unpleasant voice up in silly-string and gagged it with an old, smelly sock

She could feel him getting closer. He was taking his time, stalking her like an animal; and it was exhilarating. She threw out another blast of power, knowing that whatever she hit him with he would never be brought down by it, and spun away from the direction she had been going to set her course anew. She had a destination in mind, and she wasn't going to give in until they had reached it.

The Inu chasing her, however, seemed to have other ideas for her. Only moments after her second blast, Sesshomaru had closed in on her. He grabbed her roughly from behind, lifting her from her feet and carrying her a short distance until she found herself being pressed forcefully against the rough bark of a tree. His hand tangled in her hair, tugging painfully to force her to expose her neck to him. But her startled yelp of pain was quickly replaced with a long hiss of pleasure when she felt the razor edges of his fangs drag across her tender flesh, spilling tiny rivulets of blood that he immediately followed with a strong stroke of his hot tongue to lap up the hot liquid even as her powers surged with white magic to seal the flow.

The rumbling growl of appreciation shaking through his chest was pulsing through her back, making her knees feel like rubber. She clung to the tree for support, even as she pressed back against him, the round curve of her backside being met with the thick layer of his armor. He met her movement with a hard thrust, forcing her flush against the tree and keeping her petite body pinned with his larger frame.

A throaty moan escaped her lips, and she was rewarded for it when he used his tight grip on her hair to turn her head again and meet with his lips. His mouth crashed down onto hers, his kiss wild and hungry, forceful and commanding; and she loved it. She kept her eyes open, watching the crimson fires dance through his eyes. Being with him like this, knowing what he could do to her and yet feeling the way her was holding himself back from doing her any damage, was the most erotic thing she thought she would ever experience.

It was just so amazing, the way he wanted her, the way he could make her feel, so fragile and yet with so much power over him. She could feel the liquid heat throbbing between her legs, feel the pressure building again within her. She moaned softly into his mouth, pressing back against him again without thought.

But again he met her soft pressing with a hard thrust, forcing her against the unforgiving surface of the tree he held her pinned against. Pulling back from her lips, Sesshomaru trailed up her jaw in a line of light nips and hungry draws with his tongue. When he reached her ear, he paused for a moment to trace the delicate shell of it, the thick rumbles of his pleasure so close that the little miko shuddered as her body pulsed with a new wave of heated desire.

"You are misbehaving, bitch," his voice slipped from his lips like honey, thick and rich and deep with desire. He paused to nip at her earlobe, earning a squeak of surprise from the little miko. He smirked slowly, the beast loving the sounds she made for him. "Have you any idea what it means to run from an Inu?"

No, she didn't know, not really. But then, if it meant that he was going to keep going with what he was doing, she wasn't all that deterred from doing it again. "Have I been a naughty girl, Sesshomaru?" she asked with a light giggle as she wiggled herself against him, smiling in satisfaction when she heard the soft groan slip from his lips. "Maybe I should be punished?"

Punished? Oh no, he had something much better in mind for her. She was driving him wild with her disobedience, and he was enjoying it immensely.

She had run from him, but not to get away. She wanted him to follow, wanted him to chase her, wanted to let loose his beast. And she had, and he had reveled in the exhilaration of the chase, in the heightening of his senses as they focused only on his hunt, hearing the straining beat of her heart, the blood rushing through her veins, the air being pulled into her lungs and forced out again, and the light giggles she had released even as she had turned and sent another wave of burning power at him to throw him off course.

When he had captured her, forced her to submit, still she had not. She had continued teasing him with her body, rubbing herself against him, testing the limits of his restraint. Even his warnings to her, the scraping of his fangs against her most vulnerable area, the painful nips on her ears; she never responded as she should, always taking pleasure in the sting of her rising powers that sealed away her blood beneath his actions.

And still she was toying with him, asking for punishment, knowing he wasn't about to bring her harm until he had had his fill of her. And by the gods how he was aching to fill her. He hadn't felt this kind of unresolved sexual tension in…well…ever. He was Sesshomaru, Taiyoukai of the West, Inu no Taisho since the fall of his great and terrible father. Women basically threw themselves at him, wanting his presence, his power, his position; nearly desperate in their attempts to seduce him, to gain a place by his side, to become heavy with his pups.

But they were not this little miko. They would never try to order him, never disobey him, never try to provoke him, never do anything fun. She didn't want anything from him but the sensations he produced for her mortal body, didn't ask for anything but pleasure, she had even come prepared to prevent herself from becoming pregnant, something he was not about to commit to with a mortal wench.

And he wanted her, wanted to experience the wild rush of her power, wanted to take her innocence, wanted to feel her tender touch and bury himself in the blazing heat that had been calling out to him in the thick and heady scent of her arousal. But still he wanted more from her. He wanted her games, her wicked streak, wanted her to surprise him, to make him feel things he hadn't ever felt. He wanted her, and that want was becoming painful in its heated throb and pulsing pleasure.

But she was still playing games, and he was more than happy to play along…for now. "Run," his order was whispered in her ear before he steeped back abruptly from her.

Her petite frame shivered when she was robbed of his warmth, a coursing wave so powerful she was forced to tighten her grip against the tree she had been pinned to. But, with a deep breath, Kagome managed to force her body back under her control. She turned back to him slowly, her heart pounding with exhilaration as she stepped towards him, disobeying his orders yet again. He growled deeply, a sure sign of his displeasure, but she only smiled at him and continued moving towards him, her steps slow and seductive as she swayed her hips with added flair.

When she was close enough to him, she stretched her hands out, running them up his chest until she gained the leverage of his shoulders. She pulled herself up to him, her lips brushing softly against his, gently coaxing him to abandon his control, to forget about his order, to loose himself in the taste and feel of her. And, with a low, sighing, groan, he did. His hand came up to wrap around her waist, pulling her tightly against him, as he parted his lips to plunge his tongue into her mouth to taste her.

Kagome sighed in pleasured bliss, but her distraction was working almost too well, and she could feel her resolve beginning to waver under the heat of his touch and the passionate fire in his kiss. Only with a great amount of effort did she managed to push herself away from him. She smiled at the way his arm tightened around her, refusing to let her go. But she would make him. Planting her hands firmly against his chest, she willed her power to the surface, forcing him away from herself.

He growled, and she laughed. "Come on," she urged as she turned and started running again. "We're almost there."

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I think there's someone out there getting a sick amount of pleasure from dragging down the ratings on my stories. Well, Shadow thanks you for your support. Really, because doing such ridiculous things only promotes my other readers, whom I thank sincerely for their contributions, to fix the obvious injustices to the ratings scale. I, for one, am terribly pleased with the fact that Sins of the Father has received nearly 6000 votes. The fact that the ratings remain at 9's doesn't bother me quite so much when I see what kind of wonderful support I'm getting despite the few disgruntled readers. And this story is no different. So, if by chance my disgruntled follower(s) is/are reading this, this message is effectively Shadow sticking her tongue out at you ;P

Oh! And lemon next chapter! I can feel it :)

Ta

Shadow


	19. Chapter 19

She had stopped running, and he slowed as he neared her. Her heart still beat wildly with the rush of her flight and the exhilaration of what was to come. He could smell the heat of her desire in the air calling out to him, begging him to come and take away the ache and the need, to take hold of the fires and bend them to his will. And there would be no more flight for the little miko, no more escape, no more games. She had had her fun, had tested the restraints of the beast, had disobeyed and tried to toy with him, and now the tables had turned, now it was his time to play, his turn to toy with her.

When he stepped clear of the trees, he saw her standing on the edge of a cliff. Her midnight hair was lifting in the soft breezes of the night, floating around her in a fluttering dance of black ink and crystal light drawn from the moon itself. She turned to him, knowing he had come, her lips parting in a jubilant smile.

"I've always wanted to fly," she said as she stretched out her arms, waving them slightly against the currents of air rising up from the drop behind her. She stepped back, closer to the edge. "Just down there," she told him her eyes shifting over the edge of cliff, "There's a spring settled in a grove of thick growth. When I found it, I thought it was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen." Her eyes moved back to meet his, a slow smile pulling on her lips. "Perfect," she whispered, and then took another step back, allowing herself to take the plunge over the edge.

Closing her eyes, she let herself feel the rushing of the wind as it whipped past her, but it only lasted a moment. In seconds she felt herself being secured in a strong embrace, her downward motions slowed to only a slow descent.

"You are insane," she heard him scold her, and she laughed, knowing it was likely the truth.

When Sesshomaru set them down in the seclusion of the grove, Kagome didn't even take notice of the beautiful greens surrounding them, the lush grasses and vibrant colors of the delicate blossoms, not even the soft rippling of the crystal waters held any interest for her. She was lost in the demon standing with her, in the deep amber of his eyes, the soothing warmth of his body as it pressed against her own.

Her lips parted, almost as though she was going to say something, but no words came to her. But then, none were needed.

Sesshomaru had taken over. He stepped back from her, though not out of reach. Lifting his hand, he set it lightly on her shoulder, teasing at the straps crossing her shoulders as he began to circle her. He felt her shiver of delight, felt her skin heating again with rushes of liquid fire just beneath the surface. Her eyes followed him, but her body remained paralyzed under his gentle touch.

He lifted his tail from his shoulder, bringing it down to wrap around the little miko, allowing the soft fibers to brush against her heated skin in a feather-light caress, down her arms, across the slight parting of her shirt and skirt where her stomach was revealed, then slipping lower, tugging lightly at the thin material of her skirt.

"Undress." This time his order would not go unheeded. This time she would obey.

Her hands trembling slightly, the miko began to do as he had ordered. He watched as she went through the motions of untying the delicate straps binding her shirt, making her task so much more difficult but all the more entertaining to watch as he continued teasing her skin with gentle strokes from the soft fur of his tail. Every inch of soft, pink flesh revealed as she let another tie fall away would receive a gentle stroke, causing her to shiver again in desire.

When at last her top fell away, landing forgotten in the lush grasses, she tried to turn to him, but with a swift tightening of his tail around her slender waist, he held her firm. No, this was her punishment. He would watch her, tease her, let he feel the want and need building in her, the fire raging through her veins, the heat building in her core.

She whimpered quietly. Her body was burning, the light strokes from his tail driving her mad with desire. She wanted to touch him, to feel the heat and hardness of his body against hers; but he was denying her, holding her out of reach, forcing her to strip away what little warmth her thin garments were giving her. She could feel the cool brush of the night air against her painfully aware breasts, and it caused her to shiver.

"Keep going."

The heat that flared within her at the sound of his voice nearly had her groaning in need, but she fought through it, bringing her hands to her waist and slowly slipping the soft material of her skirt away from her. It slid off of her hips, brushing against her thighs as the light fabric floated down to the ground, pillowing at her feet in a mound of soft pink.

She was standing bare before him, all of her lush curves and beautiful proportions free to be devoured by his lustful gaze. He bit his lip to keep the sound of his appreciation from slipping out, concentrating instead on letting his tail move in soft strokes across her skin. She was shivering, the soft brushing heating her body even more drastically; but she had obeyed him, and still hadn't turned.

Finally, Sesshomaru moved closer to her, his arm slipping around her waist to pull her body against his. She gasped when she felt herself come in contact with his skin instead of his armor, but instantly she melted into the heat, releasing a long sigh of contentment.

He couldn't help the low growl of pleasure that he released when she so willingly gave her body over to him. He was holding her weight against his chest, her pulsing heat washing over his senses. And looking down at her, he could see the way her head had tilted slightly to the side, giving him full access to the soft curve of her neck.

Tightening his hold on her with his tail, keeping her body held flush with his, he leaned into her neck, brushing against it softly with his nose as he took in her rich scent. She sighed again, one of her arms lifting languidly to wrap around his neck and pull him closer. He responded to her by opening his jaw, taking hold of the vessels running under skin and pinching them with a hard bite.

She stiffened against him, but while she held her breath to fight against the wave of dizziness sweeping through her, his hand slipped down from her waist, trailing a hot path across her skin until he was holding the soft wetness of her core. Releasing his hold on her neck, Sesshomaru listened raptly for the deep, throaty moan she released.

She had arched herself back against him, using his body as leverage to press herself harder against his hand. The pressure felt so good against the constant throb, and the feeling of the deep, constant rumble shaking through his chest was causing her body to go insane with desire. She wanted more, needed more, and she pressed against his hand again, grinding her hips in a silent plea for him to give it to her.

And he did. He pressed against her forcefully, at the same time as slipping a finger into her slick folds. Her legs nearly gave out beneath her when her body reacted, clamping down hard against the intrusion at the same time as shooting waves of pure ecstasy to course through her. She whimpered quietly when she felt his tail tighten around her, refusing to let her fall to the ground despite the trembling of her legs, but her tiny whimper was replaced with a long moan when her pulled his finger back slightly, pressing against her inner walls with a long, sinful pull that drove her arousal to a new level. Her muscles trembled around him, yearning for more but trying to keep him inside of her. She didn't know what she was feeling, didn't know how to react. She just knew that she wanted more, that she needed to be filled with more of him.

It was so hard to keep himself back from what he wanted to do to her. Teasing her was proving to be a terribly difficult task. Every time her muscles would clamp down around his fingers, every time he shifted within her, driving deeper or pulling back along the hot, slick walls of her core, he could feel himself throb in painful need. And her tiny whimpers and sighs and moans were nearly enough to make him abandon his slow torture of her. But he wouldn't. He had promised himself some retribution for her games, and he was going to drag it out of her by torturing every one of her senses with the fires she had ignited.

He held her tightly against his chest, keeping her on her feet despite her attempts to sag to the ground, and continued pumping his fingers into her dripping heat. One finger had been replaced with two, her long hiss of pleasured pain driving him onwards as he continued to stretch her, to tease her with only a fraction of what would soon be filling her tight passage. But still she reacted with vigor, her hips surging against his hand, meeting forcefully to press deeper, to give her more.

"Are you enjoying yourself, priestess," he asked in a husky whisper as he pressed into her one final time, his fingers curving, pressing outwards against a delicate bundle of nerves. Her only answer was a startled cry as her body jerked violently, her muscles spasaming in rippling waves of ecstasy through her tiny frame.

"But I am not finished with you yet," he informed her as he slipped his fingers out of her, trailing the hot moisture from her core in a glistening line up her stomach until finally lifting it away and bringing his fingers to his mouth. He licked the evidence of her off greedily, his chest rumbling in pure pleasure when he was finally given a taste of her sweet nectar.

"Do you know how good you taste?" he asked her in a low whisper as he slowly began to lower her to the ground. She shook her head, her voice still lost in her straining pants as she recovered from her last high. He smirked to himself as he settled over her, trapping her tiny frame beneath his again, his chest forcing her to lower herself on her forearms and his legs trapping hers from straightening. "You will, little priestess. You will."

Allowing himself one hard thrust against the soft curve of her backside, feeling the radiating heat of her womanhood against his throbbing length, he began to pull back from his position over her. Sliding his hand down beneath her, he captured one of her breasts in his clawed hand, kneading it roughly with strong squeezes and pulls and making her cry and moan as her body trembled again with need.

Her pressed his lips to her back, tracing along her soft curves with his tongue, but pausing every once and a while to drag his fangs across her delicate flesh, loving the way she would stiffen and cry out, but shake with coursing shivers of pure ecstasy when her powers would surge up to heal her. He could feel them dancing across his senses, the sting and heat from the radiant fires a driving force to urge him onwards, to take in more of her, to taste all of her, force her body to give him more of its incredible secrets.

Finally abandoning his massaging of her breast, he slipped his hand down between her legs. He could feel her stiffen, had heard her shuddering intake of breath as it caught in preparation for what was to come, but instead of giving in to her desire to be filled, he took hold of one of her legs, pulling it roughly and forcing her to widen her stance to keep herself steady.

He growled deeply as he leaned into her, the scent of her overpowering everything, causing him to forget everything but for the need to taste her, to draw the sweet nectar dripping from her core into himself. His tongue slipped out greedily to take in the taste of her, pressing into her in one strong, slow motion, dragging out the full heat and spice of her core to settle into his mouth and fill him with the taste of only her.

Kagome threw her head back and screamed when she first felt the heat and pressure of his tongue against her. She had never imagined that something like this could feel so incredible. And the way he took her in so greedily, his tongue working to drain her completely and the hungry growls that vibrated against her sensitive folds only made the sensation more amazing. For every pleasure he gave her with each long draw against her heated core, she knew he was receiving pleasure as well, and that thought had her body shuddering and her voice calling out her rapture.

But slowly, he began to change his pace. Instead of long, strong pulls against her, instead of deep thrusts with his tongue that filled her and made her inner muscles clamp down in anticipation for more; he had replaced that with soft, fluttering flicks of his sinful tongue against the raised bud of nerves settled just above her opening. With every pass she could feel the heat within her grow, with every soft stroke she could feel herself tense more, and then every time he would stop and dive into her again to drink her clean of her flowing juices, she would feel the tight clenching within her release a little, drawing from her lips a deep, throaty moan.

When she didn't think she would be able to withstand the sinful pleasure anymore, when his torture had brought her nearly to the point of insanity in its slow, agonizing denial of release, when the tight clenching of her inner muscles was becoming painful in the absence of something to hold within her; she felt him clamp his hot mouth over her, drawing hard against her over-sensitized nerves and skin.

Something within her broke then. It flowed through her in a consuming wave of white-hot pleasure, coursing through her veins in liquid fire, igniting her senses to feel like she had never felt before. She screamed her release to the heavens, her voice lifting into the night, a siren call for the demon that took her pleasure in as his own. But more than simply her voice was lifted from the little miko. All around her, her powers surged up in a radiant dance, soft but powerful, carrying the heat of her pleasure in a magnificent surge.

It surrounded them both, but instead of repelling him as they had before, they were pulling him closer to her, filling him with the heat of her, giving over to him a small piece of her elation in gratitude. He had wanted her power, but this he had never imagined. The pulsing warmth, the surging of magic, the soft brush of her spirit as it soothed against the eternal flames; it was phenomenal.

So caught up in the sensations coursing through her following her release, the little miko was startled when she felt Sesshomaru shift against her. He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her from her knees and turning her to straddle his waist. For only a brief moment she could see the captivating amber of his eyes, so intense, so focused, so completely in awe.

And then he pulled her to him, his lips taking over hers as he poured his appreciation into her in the form of his passion. She could taste herself on his lips and mixed in with the hot spices of his mouth. It was strange, but at the same time exciting as her tongue brushed past the sharp edges of his fangs, mixing the taste in their mouths with that of her blood. It all seemed to blend together; the tastes, the scents, the surging of powers all blended with the dance of their tongues as they moved against each other.

She felt it as his hand tangled in her hair, holding her head firm against his lips. But when the other had wrapped around her waist, pulling tightly against her backside to press her heat against his throbbing length, she pulled back from him with a startled gasp.

Since when did he have two arms?

Allowing a rare smile to grace his lips as he took in the miko's awed expression, Sesshomaru brought his left hand up to the side of her face, trailing one perfectly formed clawed finger slowly down her flushed cheek. "It seems you are good for me, miko," he told her softly. "But do not think that this is going to get you out of your part of our bargain."

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I blame hormones! Lol that's where this fic is coming from. It must be! My hentai muses are running rampant, and have created the longest lemon in history! Well, maybe not that much, but it's still very long…and hard ;P Oh man, -groans- I think I need to go get myself a glass of icewater…minus the water.

OH! And one more thing for FFN readers. I think this piece is going to get me deleted XD I honestly have no idea how much content is allowed when they say 'suggestive adult content' and while I could imagine that it is likely less suggestive than I have…well…suggested, I think I've read worse on this site. So, since it would truly be a pain in the butt to have to start all over again if I do get deleted, I think the next chapter isn't going to be posted on this site. I will post a sub chapter directing readers towards ASS for the chapter, and then post the final chapter(s) in full.

Hope everyone has pleasant dreams tonight.

Shadow


	20. Chapter 20

Sorry folks, but this chapter won't be found on FFN. I figured I have pushed my limits with this site a little too far, and should start complying with the ratings system. But not to worry, you can all find your fill of hentai goodness on A Single Spark. The link will be provided here (minus the spaces and insert the colon and equals signs since this site is weird) as well as directly on my profile.

http(colon)// www . a-single-spark . com/fanficread . php?fid(equals)5792&cid(equals)20

And don't forget to rate and review! ;P

Cheers all

Shadow


	21. Chapter 24

Kagome was stirred from her slumber by a slight twitching of her blanket.

Twitching?

Her eyes snapped open. The first thing that entered her sleep-fogged vision was two massive, glowing, red eyes staring at her.

She shrieked and scooted backwards. But, slowly, as her mind began to clear of the haze of sleep, she remembered why she was looking at the blazing crimson of those eyes. Taking in a deep breath, she raised a hand to her chest in an attempt to calm her racing heart.

"Don't do that," she breathed out in annoyance. "You could give a girl a heat attack."

The Inu sniffed slightly at her before lifting his head from his resting position against his paw. His eyes were focused on her intently in a burning glare for a moment, and then he growled.

"What?" She really had no idea.

His jaw opened slightly and clamped back together again, and Kagome could have sworn that she saw him roll his eyes. He woofed slightly, the sound massive even though he had muffled it with the tight clenching of his jaw; but Kagome still hadn't a clue what he wanted from her. Finally, after huffing his annoyance at her, he shifted, dropping his nose down to nudge her off of himself.

Blushing in embarrassment once she finally realized what he wanted; Kagome quickly scrambled her way down from his foreleg. She shivered heavily the instant she was robbed of his warmth, her embarrassed blush heating even further as she was reminded again of her lacking apparel. With a nervous laugh at the Inu that was looking at her curiously, Kagome spun away from him to find her clothes.

While she was dressing, she felt the massive swell of energy from behind her that signaled Sesshomaru's transformation, but she couldn't bring herself to look at him. She was…confused, a little, and she was still uncertain about what would happen next between them. Not to mention the fact that he would still have been naked…naked and oh so sexy…and probably just as ready to do naughty, naughty things to her as he had been only hours before.

Her body shivered lightly again, only this time, she was pretty sure it had nothing to do with being cold.

"Pleasant thoughts, priestess?"

The sound of his voice made her body pulse with heat, and Kagome scowled. Damn dogs and their damn noses! With a blush still staining her cheeks, she turned slowly to face him. She startled a little when she saw that he was right behind her, already dressed, and looking at her expectantly.

"I…umm…" Laughing nervously again, Kagome smoothed a hand through her tussled hair to try and bring herself back into order.

Sesshomaru watched her curiously for a moment, not understanding her nervousness now. Though, truth be told, he really didn't know what he was going to do with her. It wasn't like he could just take her with him, no matter how tempting it may have been to have her at his leisure. To do such would only cause problems, not the least of which being his halfling brother.

He had thought about it a great deal while the girl had been sleeping, trying to find an answer. But every time he almost had himself convinced that the hassles she would cause for him were more than she was worth, he would find himself looking down at her little mortal body placed so trustfully in his care, sleeping so peacefully, her beauty just as complete in her serenity as it was when her body was flushed with passion. Her scent would fill his senses, a small reminder of her purity and of the electric burn of her powers; and he would loose all arguments to keep her away.

That he wanted her, he could not deny. But how far could it ever go? Would he truly commit the same sins of his father and make this mortal heavy with his pups? No. He wouldn't, and he knew it. But she wasn't the simple mortal that had birthed Inuyasha. She was a power all her own, and he knew he would never be able to let her go.

But, for now, there was no avoiding it. "Come, miko," he interrupted her nervous fidgeting. "I will escort you back your companions."

"O…okay," she replied hesitantly.

Is this it, she wondered? Would this really be the end? But no, she knew it wouldn't be. Or…at least…she thought she did.

She knew she should say something, but she couldn't for the life of her figure out what. It wasn't like she could just hand him her number and say 'Call me.' And the idea of getting a doggie whistle to call him with was promptly thrown out of the window in favor of living rather than being gutted for attempting to turn Sesshomaru into her own personal lap dog. Even asking for a second date seemed pretty obscure since they had basically skipped all of the dating procedure, unless, of course, you count engaging in battle on opposite sides of the field as acceptable first date behavior.

Yeah, she decided, she was screwed.

For a time, they walked together in silence through the trees and the bright streamers of the afternoon sun. But Kagome couldn't keep her thoughts from spinning; and her inner struggles had manifested in such outward anxiety that she had basically rung her little handbag into a useless, tattered mess of its once glory.

Finally, deciding that she simply couldn't keep a lid on it anymore, Kagome just had to speak. "Sesshomaru?" she asked quietly.

"Hn."

Kagome gulped when his eyes shifted to meet hers, the golden surfaces glinting sharply in the sunlight. But she fought through her hesitations to finally find some words. "What does an Inu Lord do with their time?"

She had thought she had a good enough question. It was vague enough to be considered small talk, but also relative enough to what she actually wanted to ask that she might be able to sway the conversation in her favor without making too much of an ass of herself.

Sesshomaru, however, didn't seem to take it like that. After lifting an eyebrow curiously at her, he blinked, reset his stoic mask, and turned his gaze back to the path ahead. "The affairs of this Sesshomaru are of no consequence to you, mortal," he replied coolly.

Kagome instantly bristled at his words and his icy demeanor. Her hands clenched tightly at her sides and her whole frame stiffened with righteous fury. But, after forcing herself to take a few long, cleansing breaths, she managed to calm herself to a more bearable level and offer her retort. "Too bad," she said, her voice light and mocking. "I guess the next time I'm feeling frisky, I'll just have to get Inuyasha to fulfill my desires."

His reaction was exactly what she had expected, though, she amended, she could have probably gone without him grabbing her arm with such ferocity that his claws pressed painfully into her exposed flesh.

"That worthless half-breed will never touch you." His words were so hard and so fierce, that they seemed an order and a threat at once. "I will not have any other laying their hands on what is mine."

"You would claim me like some possession!" Kagome screamed shrilly. She was absolutely livid. How dare he! Not caring about the dangerous position of his claws, she ripped herself from his hold. "It doesn't work that way, Sesshomaru!"

Leveling a cold glare on the steaming miko, Sesshomaru scoffed. "It is too late, miko. Your body already belongs to me. No other will ever be able to quench your thirst. No other will ever be able to tame the fire in your veins. You will burn for my touch, ache with need to be filled by only me. You are mine, and you will come back crawling on your knees, begging for me to take you in any way I wish."

"My…body," she chocked out. "That's all…that's all you want from me is my body?"

"What did you expect, miko? Did you think that this Sesshomaru would ever lower himself to cater to your human emotions?"

Kagome drew in a shaky, startled breath. It caught in her throat, her lungs refusing to draw in air. But she hardened herself against it, fought against the stinging in her eyes that threatened to spill her tears. She wouldn't let him see her cry. Not now. He wouldn't see her pain.

She narrowed her eyes sharply on him. "I guess I should know better than to expect anything from you," she hissed out venomously. "You truly do have no heart, and I was a fool to think you would ever be worthy of me."

With that, she spun away from him and started walking.

His reaction was immediate. He snarled viciously and closed the distance between them in a flash, snagging her arm roughly and spinning her back to face him. "You would dare turn your back on this Sesshomaru?" he bit out in a low growl.

How dare she! After everything he had done, how much more would she have him shame himself just to be with her? He had given her back her life, saved a mortal from their fate, only to have her open her eyes and look at him again. He had let her touch his body, let her find pleasure in his flesh, given her pleasure in return, allowed her to direct his movements and his responses simply to hear her voice calling out in rapture. He had submitted himself to the full burn of her powers, let them wash over him in a fury hotter than hell-fire even knowing what it would do to him, just so he could have her with him one more time. He had let her see his weakness as he lost all control over the form that he had been trained to use while walking upon the land of the mortals, revealed to her all of himself simply because he wanted her and she had asked for his measure of faith. He had fought off the nearly overwhelming need to rest and restore his energy just to be alert enough to watch over her, to keep her safe.

And still she would give nothing to him. She would deny him still, deny his claim over her, deny his presence and his position. She would not submit to him, would not allow his to be the word of command. She would turn away from him and everything he offered her.

But Kagome couldn't see it that way. She was tired of being threatened, tired of being pushed around, tired of being claimed by people who thought they had the right to order her or control her, who didn't respect her enough to let her make her own choices and live her own life. She was tired of being used.

Setting her jaw in determination, Kagome pulled back with her free hand and slapped him hard across the face. She ignored the fierce snapping of his jaw and the way his eyes bled crimson in fury, and bit out her response brutally.

"I didn't want you, but you were the one that pushed me until I couldn't not. I didn't care about you, but you treated me with such care and such tenderness that you made me feel things I thought could only be a dream. I could have walked away, but you force me to stay. If you don't want me, all of me, then you never should have said that you do. If what happened between us means so little to you that you would treat me this way, then let me go. Let me go back to the people that actually care about me, that want me to be happy not abused and mistreated by someone who can't get over themselves for long enough to realize that he's being a fool."

Sesshomaru snarled angrily at the bitch that dared talk to him in such a way, his grip on her arm tightening so fiercely that he could feel the slick, sticky moisture of her blood pooling under his hand. He wanted to punish her, wanted to make her scream in agony and beg for his forgiveness for being so insolent, wanted to kill her for her audacity and her complete and utter disrespect.

But he couldn't. He couldn't because the very thought of harming her caused his blood to run cold, the thought of her being in pain made his heart clench in agony, and the thought of never seeing her again caused a heavy weight to settle in his very soul

He closed his eyes tightly and turned his head away from her. "I do not…" but he couldn't finish.

He didn't want to hurt her. He didn't want to loose her. He didn't want to want her, but he couldn't help himself. She had captured him completely, and he didn't know how to tell her. She would never understand how much it had meant for him expose himself to her powers knowing that he wouldn't be able to contain his transformation, to break out of his humanoid form and reveal to her everything of himself. She would never be able to hear the words spoken from him that had no form. She would never know unless he told her, but he didn't have the words.

"You don't what?" Kagome snapped back at him heatedly. "You don't want me? Well, you've made that abundantly clear! Now let me go before I make you!"

"No!"

He had raised his voice so forcibly that Kagome startled. She had never heard him sound that way before. Even when his voice was tarnished by the beast, there was always a softness to it, a steady undertone that always spoke of control. But in this there was none. It was almost…frantic.

His arms came up around her and pulled her against his chest, but Kagome was still too shocked to remember that she was angry at him to fight back against his hold. She could feel the rumbling vibrations shaking through his chest as he held her to him, so low and soft that they made her want to cry.

"Why are you doing this?" she chocked out with a muffled sob.

Her hands lifted to press against his shoulders, but he only tightened his hold on her. "I do not have words in your mortal language to tell you," he answered her quietly. "I do not understand you. Your reactions to me, they are not what I know. It is…difficult, because you do not understand me either."

Finally breaking down, Kagome released a heavy sob. She buried her face into the soft silk of his garment and brought her arms up around his back. "How can I understand if you won't tell me," she whispered against him in a trembling voice.

Releasing a heavy sigh, Sesshomaru pulled her closer still, dipping his head to nudge lightly into the curve of her neck. "But I am telling you," he told her slowly. "Listen, Kagome. What do you hear?"

The soft, low rumbles began vibrating in his chest again. She could feel the sound carrying through him and into her. It washed over her, soothing and tranquil. In the softness there was content and pleasure, and in the low rumble there was power and presence. It made her feel warm, safe, and protected.

Her tears fell anew when she realized that she would never truly hear what he was saying to her. They weren't alike. She was human, and he was an immortal. She would never truly understand him, and he would never truly understand her.

But she wanted to. She wanted to know him.

She had felt such incredible awe when she had seen his true form. To know that he wasn't hiding himself from her, to know that he had pushed himself so far that he couldn't hold back the true might of his being; it had exhilarated her, made her desire for him grow even more. That he had taken such care with her, held back so much from what he could have done to her and yet still pushed her past every limit she though she had for herself; made her feel things she never thought could be possible, had never even known enough of to hope for.

She wanted him, wanted to know every part of him, wanted to be able to understand him, wanted to be able to love him. But she feared this too, because he was right, because they were so different, because she could never know if he returned her feelings, even if she knew what those feelings were.

That he would protect her, she knew. That he would care for her and support her, she believed he would. But what could she ever be to him? She was mortal, her time was definite. But not him. He would live forever; walk the planes of this existence until his final battle. And she would be to him nothing more than a glimmer of memory.

But then, what was there to say that he would not be so to her? What guarantees did she have that she would not be ripped from this time when her mission had finally been completed?

Her breath catching suddenly, Kagome stiffened against him. Her eyes had grown wide as looked up at him, and she took a nervous step out of his embrace. "You…you don't even know where I come from, do you?"

Sesshomaru tilted his head slightly in puzzlement. It was strange that she would think of such a thing now. "The future," he stated as though it were common knowledge.

Blinking a couple of times to let that shocker blow her by, Kagome shook her head. "That's not it. Well, I am from the future…but…it's just that I'm not entirely sure it's the same future as this land." He face scrunched up slightly as she tried to find a better way to put that. "You see, where I come from, youkai are nothing but myths and fairy tales. No offense or anything, but I don't think that powerful youkai like you would so willingly allow their presence to fade into the backdrop without having recognition. And it doesn't make sense that their presence could be wiped out so completely from records and histories and such, especially considering the youkai Lords would likely have some sort of documentation of their own, right?"

She waited until Sesshomaru nodded slightly in the affirmative to her question before continuing. "There are very few, if any real mystical presences in my era; and the ones that are there have some sort of connection with the same sacred artifacts of this time. Like the sacred trees or the Shikon. I mean, I didn't even know I had any sort of miko powers before being pulled through that well; and if I had them all my life, don't you think I would have picked up on some sort of presence in that time? Even Inuyasha can't detect the scent of anything but humans when he crosses over to my world. Besides, if there really was youkai around in my time, I don't think that they would let us muddy up the skies and the waters that made them with pollution."

She saw the question in his eyes even before he could ask it, and Kagome quickly shook her head. "You don't want to know." She sighed a little. "So, anyways, knowing all of this, I'm not all that sure that it is only a temporal shift that I cross to come here. I think there is a dimensional shift as well."

"Am I to understand, miko, that you are not of this world?"

"Err…basically, yeah."

"This could prove problematic."

Kagome couldn't have agreed more. With a long sigh, she flopped herself down on the ground to brood. Why did she have to pick now to tell him these things? Would it have killed her if she had just kept her big yap shut? He was just starting to like her in his own way, which was weird enough as it was. He didn't need to be burdened with her problems.

So caught up in her tumbling thoughts, Kagome missed it when Sesshomaru lowered himself down next to her. His arm wrapped around her shoulders and gave a gentle pull. She sighed, but gave into him and leaned herself against his side to be wrapped in the warmth of his embrace.

"Perhaps," he mused softly, his voice a velvet blanket to wrap around her troubles and sooth her fears, "It is not you that is not part of this world, but your world that you are not a part of."

"What do you mean?" she asked quietly as she lifted her face to look at him.

"You are the guardian of the Shikon no Tama," he replied as his gaze shifted to settle on her. "The jewel was made in this world, but it disappeared from the land for fifty years. It is possible, that the jewel was taken from this world and brought to another for safe-keeping."

"I guess," she ventured hesitantly. "But that would mean that someone took the jewel fifty years ago and carried it through the well. No one in my time even knows about it. Hell, the only person that even seems to know anything at all about real youkai is my…"

She gasped. "Grandpa!"

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HA! Would you look at that! A whole chapter with no smut! I think I might be recovering from my gutter dive. Though, one never knows how long it will be before a relapse ;P

And for those of you reading on FFN, there is a couple of chapters missing….well, three chapters missing ;P due to sexual content. But you can find the link to the ASS site in my profile.

Cheers

Shadow


	22. Chapter 25

Standing in the clearing by the old well, bathed in the red glow of the setting sun, Kagome gave herself over to Sesshomaru's warm embrace one last time before she went back to her own time.

"How long?"

"Two more days is all he'll let me have."

Sesshomaru's smirk was lost in the crown of raven hair he was resting against. "The moon lies in shadow three nights from now. He will have to wait one more day." He pulled back slightly from her, dipping down to brush his lips across hers. "I will come for you then."

Her body coursed with a wonton shiver of desire, and Kagome moaned softly against his lips, pressing herself closer to him, deepening their kiss. He responded to her greedily, parting his lips to sweep his tongue into her mouth to taste her. Sighing dreamily as he once again managed to sooth away all of her fears with a simple kiss, Kagome ran her hands up over his shoulders, using the leverage she gained to pull herself up and wrap a leg around his waist to hold the heat he cause to pool within her against him, to let him feel what he did to her.

He growled deeply in appreciation, his hand slipping down from her back to catch her leg. He pulled her roughly towards him, tilting her off her balance and making her give herself over to his hold, to let his strength be what kept her on her feet.

Her tiny squeak of surprise followed by a long sigh as she relaxed herself and let him hold her, made him throb in painful need. "Gods, woman," he breathed out as he forced himself back from her sweet lips. "What have you done to me that I can not get enough of you?"

Kagome giggled lightly as she pulled him back to her so that she could kiss his face. "I think you should invest in a new set of armor," she told him with a slight thrusting of her hips, giggling again when he groaned quietly in response. "That way we could have a quickie."

Sesshomaru lifted an eyebrow at the miko. He had no idea what she meant by 'quickie,' but he was more than willing to let his mind dip into the gutter to elaborate for him. A low growl erupted in his chest, and in an instant, Kagome found herself lying on the ground with a very lusty looking youkai lowing himself overtop of her while ripping his armor carelessly from his body.

"Oh," was the best she could muster as her wide eyes took in the predatory gleam burning in the molten gold of his.

"You can do better than that, miko," he told her, his voice deep and filled with lust as his hands slid firmly up her thighs to push her skirt up to her waist. His eyes flashed dangerously when her sex was exposed to his lustful gaze, and his rumbling growl grew in volume and deepened with desire.

Before she had a chance to say anything more, he had leaned into her and slipped his hot tongue in a long draw over the tender lips of her centre. Her body shuddered and she moaned deeply in her throat.

"That's better," he said huskily as he pulled away from her, licking his lips slowly to savor her taste. He pulled himself up to settle over her, his right hand making quick work of the ties holding his pants to his waist as his left held his weight. "How long, miko," he asked as he settled himself just outside of her opening, pushing lightly against the heating folds of her, "do you think you can last?"

"I…"

But before she could say another word, he was pushing himself into her. Kagome hissed in pleasure at the sensation, her body immediately reacting to his presence by clamping down tightly around him. It was different from before. She wasn't dripping with the slick juices of her arousal, only wet enough to allow him passage, but still cool enough that she could feel the heat of the friction his movement within her was creating.

"Oh Kami," she panted when he had finally settled himself fully within her, pausing to allow her trembling body and clenching muscles to relax enough for him to move again.

"Not quite, Kagome," he teased with a low chuckle before pulling himself out of her as slowly as he had entered.

She gasped; hating the empty feeling that was left in the wake of his movement, and her hips surged up to slam against his and force him to be buried within her heat once more. He met her motions with a low growl and a powerful thrust that forced her hips back to the ground. She cried out in ecstasy, her hips surging upwards again to invite him to take her.

"Is that what you want?" he asked her as he thrust sharply again, again making her cry out her rapture. "So be it, miko."

He picked up his pace, thrusting into her sharply and quickly. The feeling of her wrapping around him in her dry heat steadily changing to the slick moisture as her body was pulled deeper and deeper into her arousal and her euphoria, was consuming him. He set his jaw tightly to keep the ripping snarls of his pleasure from tearing past his lips as he continued pumping himself into her. She was so tight, as though none of their activities from the night before had even happened. And without having primed her, he could feel the heat he was creating within her with every thrust.

Watching her writhe beneath him, the short heaving of her chest as she struggled to draw in enough air to appease her starved lungs, the rushing of blood under the surface of her skin as it heated and flush with her passion, and the way her features shifted and broke with every new sensation to display to him clearly everything that she was feeling; and Sesshomaru was certain he had never seen anything so completely erotic.

And knowing that was only for him that she had given these things, made him that much more certain that he would never allow any other to defile his beautiful little miko. She was his now, and he would make certain that she stayed that way. He would be the only one to see her passion, to feel her glorious heat, to take her body and hear her cries of rapture.

So caught up in watching her, in taking pleasure in her reactions to him, Sesshomaru nearly missed the calling of his own body that threatened to overtake his resolve. He groaned deeply, pushing into her with one last powerful thrust and holding himself within her until her felt the trembling release that shook through her frame and the short cry of euphoria that spilled from her lips, and then he ripped himself out of her with a fierce snarl, his release spilling from him in throbbing pulses that only left him aching for more.

As he leaned himself over her and took her lips in a hungered kiss, he came to a conclusion: he really needed to do something about his need for her, because if he didn't, and soon, he would loose what little restraint he had when it came to her and end up filling her completely with his essence. Perhaps, he allowed, he could endure the contraption she had supplied on their fist time just to have his release within her hot and welcoming body.

Kagome though, was well ahead of him in that department. And she planned on using her time in her era to remedy a few limitations of her sex life…now that she had a sex life, that is. It would take some time, of course, but then, it wasn't like he was getting any older.

With a wicked grin pulling on her lips, Kagome wrapped her arms around Sesshomaru and pulled him hard down to her mouth to ravish him with her kisses. It didn't work very well, the whole ravishing thing, since he seemed far more experienced in that department than her, but still, she had to try. When she finally pulled back from him to breathe in some much forgotten oxygen, her wicked smile had not left her.

She brushed her lips against his lightly, pausing to nibble against his lower lip and reveling in the low moan her released and the way his hips bucked against her in again in desire. "Now, now, puppy," she teased lightly as she pushed against his chest to free herself from beneath him. "I have to get going. But," she paused to wink at him and give him another light peck on the lips. "If you're a good boy, I might bring back a little treat for you."

"As intriguing as your offer is, miko," he returned with a low growl as he took her lips in a bruising kiss. "The only treat I will be indulging in is the sweetness of your body as I take you for my pleasure."

He kissed her again, the motion of his lips and tongue against her so hungry and passionate that Kagome quickly lost herself again in the wild sensations that burned through her body in response to his touch. He had been right when he said that no other could make her feel as he did, that no other would ever be able to ignite her blood with such an inferno of lust and desire. And, she realized, she really didn't take all that much offense to the idea of being his. It was just the principle that she had to fight against. She couldn't go letting him think that she would so easily cater to another's will.

But he was different. She realized it now. He hadn't meant to take away her rights or her freedoms; he had only meant to tell her that he had no intention of sharing her with another, that he wanted her to himself. And that knowledge, especially knowing who he was and his opinions of mortals being what it was, made her realize how much he truly was sacrificing to be with her.

It must have been so hard for him to even admit that he wanted her, so much more to say it aloud, to let her know of his desire, and to leave himself vulnerable to her rejection when she doubted he would have ever done such a thing for another.

Even thinking about it made her body heat. A moan of desire slipped from her lips and his low growl in response which vibrated in numbing pleasure against her lips made it nearly impossible for her to overcome the urge to have him join with her again. He was addictive.

But then, suddenly, he pulled himself away from her. Kagome looked up at him in confusion, but he simply shook his head and took hold of her arm to pull her to her feet.

"It is time for you to go, miko," he told her, the low husk of desire and passion stripped from his voice and replaced with the thick measure of unyielding ice.

She wanted to ask him why, wanted to ask what had changed so suddenly, but before she could voice her questions they were answered for her when she felt a faint tingling at the edges of her senses. She gasped softly when she realized what, or rather who, it was.

Sesshomaru saw her troubled expression, and he didn't like it. At all. He reached out to her, pulling her fluidly into his arms and stealing her lips in a chaste kiss to sooth her. "Do not worry yourself, miko. I will be tactful."

Kagome blinked at him, her face contorting slightly in disbelief. "You know he doesn't know what tact is, right?"

"Hn," Sesshomaru replied unphased. He knew better than her what that whelp was and wasn't capable of. Inuyasha may have been a foul-mannered, hot-headed, idiot, but he was still family. "Get going, miko," he urged her with a slight push in the direction of her well. "Your presence will only infuriate him."

Kagome wanted to argue, wanted to tell him that she really should be the one to tell Inuyasha what had happened, but the hard look Sesshomaru was giving her made her think better of it. Maybe he was right. Maybe he was the only one that could handle Inuyasha's outburst after he learned what had happened.

With a sigh of resignation, Kagome turned towards the well. "Just," she started hesitantly, looking over her shoulder to Sesshomaru. "Just promise me you won't hurt him too badly?"

Sesshomaru eyes her critically for a moment. Her request wasn't exactly unexpected, but it did grate against his nerves more than he deemed necessary. But he also knew that she would have a hard time looking past any action on his part against his idiotic sibling, so he found himself nodding slightly in accession to her request.

With a radiant smile and a sweet chirp of her thanks, Kagome took the plunge down the well.

Sesshomaru watched for a moment as the brilliant blue light of the mystic portal enveloped her, wondering again at her origins and of what she had said regarding her world. It still didn't sit right with him. There was something they were missing. Her journey home was to find that knowledge, but he too had a few resources that he could consult, and he planed on doing just that.

Pulled away from his thoughts of other worlds and distant magics, Sesshomaru took in a deep breath to steel himself for his meeting with Inuyasha. This, he knew was going to be, by far, the most humiliating thing he had ever done. And it was all for her. That damned miko. How he wished he could say she had cast a spell on him to explain away his ridiculous need to have her. But he couldn't, and that meant he would have to…

He nearly groaned. This was ridiculous. Why did he have to be so bound by honor that he simply couldn't kill that detestable half-breed and take his miko? The very idea of what he would have to do instead had him fighting back the urge to string together a multitude of curses that would even put Inuyasha's foul mouth to shame. But, forcing himself to take another deep breath, Sesshomaru regained his composure to face his brother.

When Inuyasha finally dropped down from the trees into the clearing by the old well, Sesshomaru was ready for him, though still none more pleased about what he was about to do. Predictably, the hanyou had shouted his name in a way that only he could to make his sensitive ears feel like they were bleeding, strung together a bout of curses mixed with accusation, and then proceeded to draw his sword.

Sesshomaru watched him go through the motions impassively, all the time wondering why he had been cursed with such a blazing moron for a sibling. Then, once realizing that the whelp really wasn't going to shut his foul mouth for any period of time, Sesshomaru began walking towards him. The hanyou had tensed, dropping his stance in ready for an attack, and Sesshomaru was sorely tempted to show him exactly how ridiculously flawed his battle stance was by bowling him over and taunting him with his stupidity. He didn't, however, and kept walking towards the insolent whelp with slow, measured steps.

With every step, he felt as though he were walking further and further into hell. Yes, definitely, he was damning himself for all eternity. And it was all for her. He should have killed her when he had the chance. Damn. Even the thought of it made him ache. His want for her was so consuming it was becoming a need, and he hated it, but reveled in it at the same time.

"What the fuck are you doing?!" Inuyasha roared as he swung his sword in a warding gesture to keep Sesshomaru from closing in on him any further. He couldn't figure out what that bastard had planned. He wasn't being hostile, want taunting him about his worthlessness or his 'dirty' blood, wasn't being the arrogant ass that thought himself invincible against everything, wasn't doing anything but walking slowly in his direction; and Inuyasha had no fucking clue what to make of it. "Are you gonna fight or what?"

"Or what, Inuyasha," Sesshomaru replied impassively as he lifted his hand to brush away the Tetsusaiga blade.

The instant he touched the fang, it immediately lost its massive weight and power, converting into its dormant state. Inuyasha stared disbelievingly at the rusted, old katana in his hands for a moment, his mind not processing what had just happened. But, being that he wasn't about to let his fucking brother get the best of him so easily, Inuyasha snarled angrily and thrust the useless blade forward anyways, thinking that maybe it was just a fluke or some black magic the fuck had picked up that would make him think his sword wasn't working when he knew that Tetsusaiga would never fail him.

Again, Sesshomaru swatted the blade away. He had no intention of causing the whelp harm, and their father's fang recognized this and would not strike out against him. "Cease your pathetic attempts against this Sesshomaru," he bit out. His mood was foul and his temperament even worse. It was bad enough that he was doing this for a human wench; he didn't need Inuyasha's stupidity to make it any more degrading than it already was.

"What?" Inuyasha asked speculatively. "You finally realized you can't beat me?"

"Hardly," Sesshomaru replied dryly. "It would be my extreme pleasure to show you exactly how much of an insolent whelp you truly are by proving irrefutably your weak fortitude. However, current events have made such things against the better interests of this Sesshomaru."

"What the fuck are you talking about? Is your brain broke? Did you get one too many hits in the head or something? 'Cause you're not making any sense!"

"Must you always be such an imbecile, Inuyasha?" Sesshomaru bit out in a low growl of displeasure and complete annoyance as he leaned down so that he was nose-to-nose with his brother.

Inuyasha's nose twitched once. Then again. His eyes shot open impossibly wide with utter disbelief, and he stumbled back a step from Sesshomaru. "What…what the fuck? You…you smell like…" Shaking his head sharply, Inuyasha refused to believe what his nose was spelling out for him. There was just no way! "I don't know how you pulled this," he bit out angrily. "But I'm going to make sure you're sick sense of humor meets and early grave!"

Before Inuyasha could make a move, Sesshomaru had grabbed his arms, restraining him roughly. Closing his eyes against the near physical pain this was causing him in humility, Sesshomaru quickly leaned in to Inuyasha and pressed his cheek to his. The boy froze, and he finally thought that he might, possibly, perhaps, be given a reprieve.

Not so much luck. "Get off of me you sick fuck! I ain't no fuckin' bitch!"

"You really are an idiot," Sesshomaru scolded harshly as he threw Inuyasha to the ground. "I could have killed you to take over her care, but since that would displease her irreparably, I am forced to accept you as well no matter how revolting the idea."

"You…you…what?"

Sesshomaru snarled and promptly turned away. His pride was dangling by threads as it was, and witnessing any more of the whelp's outrageous stupidity threatened to break through his resolve to the point where he would just kill the annoying little brat, feed his corpse to some lowly swarm of roaming youkai, and deny for all eternity that he had anything to do with it. But, tempting as that sounded; if he was going to kill the whelp, he was going to be certain that he could have his claim over the kill. And if that meant waiting till the miko was no longer an obstacle to him doing so, then so be it.

"You can't have her!"

He heard Inuyasha's protest from behind him once the whelp had finally managed to recover himself enough to speak. "She is already mine," Sesshomaru replied without looking back. He could hear the hanyou's approach, wild and reckless as always, Inuyasha wouldn't know stealth or tactic if it crawled up his pant leg in the night and bit him. Sesshomaru evaded his careless attack easily, turning to face the steaming hanyou.

"Perhaps you should go waste your time with something more productive that these futile attacks against me, little brother," he observed dryly. "Truly, you could use a bath. I can still smell the foul stench of wolf, and it is rather disturbing to know that your preferences lay thusly."

"Why you…" Inuyasha fumed. He lunged again at Sesshomaru, but before he could reach him, he had already gone.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Yeah, I should have known that I couldn't write a non pervy chapter for this story without consequence. I was so displeased with the last chapter, that I immediately wrote another one to make up for it. Lol and would you look, it has yet another little romp in it ;P

Well, now that that problem is fixed, I'm off to dreamland for some happy dreams.

TaTa

Shadow


	23. Chapter 26

When Kagome had gotten home, her grandfather had already retired for the evening. Just as well, she supposed. She had much to do, and her questions, while needing to be answered, were still only the beginnings of ideas in her mind. She needed time to sort things out. And, she figured, there was no better way to get that done than going shopping. But unfortunately, that was going to have to wait till morning.

So, after greeting her mother and brother, she excused herself for the night and took a long bath, failing miserably to expel thoughts of heated waters and even more heated bodies from her mind, before going to bed herself. She was still tired. Though her powers had healed her body on the other side of the well, the moment she had returned she had felt the heavy weight of exhaustion settle over her. She wondered at this in the groggy moments before sleep could claim her, but eventually it was the call of slumber that won out over her questioning mind.

The next morning she got up early, leaving from her home even before her mother had woken up. But she had many things to do and so little time to do them. A trip to the doctor, the pharmacy, the grocery store, the mall, and that one little shop that Yuka had dragged her to months earlier which no matter how many times she went into she was certain she would still blush like a cherry tomato; and Kagome finally finished her errands.

It was late afternoon when she finally returned home. She climbed the many stars of the shrine, every step thanking her multitude of exercise in the feudal era for keeping her fit enough to take another, and gained the summit with a short, congratulatory exclamation to herself.

Her pride as to her athletic prowess for being able to climb a hundred stairs while bogged down with fifty pounds of shopping bags, however, was cut short abruptly when she caught sight of her grandfather.

He was kneeling in prayer before the sacred tree. All around him incense burned, rising into the air in light wisps of smoke to carry the soft scent of sandalwood and lavender. So often she had seen him do these meditations, sitting there by the sacred tree. Come summer or winter, wind or rain; every day he would still be there, speaking in the language of the ancients, calling upon spirits to hear his summons, to answer his pleas.

She had never understood his commitment to it, never understood how his faith in such things could be so definite, so unwavering. She hadn't understood, until she had seen such things with her own eyes, until she had felt the surging of her own magics, seen sprits with her own eyes, found a world apart from the one she lived.

Seeing him there now, made her understanding grow. It was the tree. The sacred tree that had stood guardian over so many, be it in this era and the one she had found on the other side of the well. The tree was connected to that time, to that place. It was its power which had formed the well, its presence which had allowed for the passage through time and space.

And he knew it. And he spoke to the tree because he knew its secrets, because he knew of the magics it possessed, because he once had commanded them as well. No more though. Here, the markings adorned on his sacred sutras held no power, the words of the incantations he spoke carried no meaning.

They had no power because there was no need.

Even her own powers, so strong and sure and true in the world beyond the well, she could not call forth in this world. It was the land, the sun, the sky; everything that made this world. Magic and monsters had no place here but for in children's stories, to bring fear of shadows and of straying too far from mother's care.

With a long sigh, Kagome set her bags down on the bench under the tree and walked over to stand beside it. Her hand lifted on impulse to brush against the rough back, smoothing over the dark patch scarred forever by the use of magic.

"Do you miss it?" she asked quietly

The old man startled slightly at the sound of her voice, and opened his eyes. He blinked several times for his wearing vision to take focus, releasing a huff of breath when he finally set eyes on Kagome.

"Shouldn't you be at school, girl," he scolded. "I don't spend all that time making up excuses for your absences to keep your position in your school for you to be dallying when you have the opportunity to attend."

Kagome cringed slightly at the mention of school. She was failing miserably. Her time in the feudal era was steadily consuming more and more of her time, not to mention her interest. School seemed so far away when she was fighting for her life that she just couldn't find it in herself to be bothered with it anymore.

"You didn't answer my question," she replied instead.

The old man sighed in exacerbation. "And what question is that, Kagome?"

"Do you miss it?" she repeated.

"You grow more and more strange with every day," he huffed as he gathered his old limbs together to stand. He took a moment to brush off his robes before looking back to her. "Now," he said calmly, his arms crossing over his chest. "Did you need something, dear? Another pendant, perhaps, to ward off against demonic spirits? Or have you finally agreed to ease this old man's worries and leave all that feudal nonsense behind you."

Kagome shook her head. "You know as well as I do that your charms don't work, grandpa. And you're still avoiding my question."

"You will have to forgive this old man, darling. I haven't the mind to keep up with you youth any longer. Come, dear," he beckoned as he turned towards the house. "Your mother will have dinner ready soon." He smacked his lips. "We wouldn't want to let her wonderful cooking go to waste."

Kagome's eyes narrowed sharply at his slowly retreating form. He was trying to get away from her questions. "You were the one that brought it here, weren't you?" she asked him tersely.

He stopped abruptly, his frame setting in rigid apprehension. But he attempted to cover the laps by bringing a hand up to scratch his balding head. "I have no idea what you're talking about," he told her with a slight waving of his hand and started walking again.

"Grandfather!" Kagome's voice had risen, but her tone remained just as hard. She moved quickly to catch up with him, setting herself firmly in his path to the house. Her eyes locked onto his, determined, unyielding. "The Shikon. You brought it here, to this world, didn't you?"

"Foolishness!" he replied quickly. "I have nothing to do with that cursed jewel! And if you were the smart girl your mother and I raised you to be, then you wouldn't either!"

His frame was shaking lightly as he stood off against her, his eyes blazing with conviction and fury. But Kagome couldn't be deterred.

"Did you think I wouldn't figure it out?" she asked him angrily. "Did you think that telling me all those stories about youkai and spirits would have made me think that they had truly existed in this world, that the only reason they were nothing but fairy tales to everyone else is because they were wiped off the face of the earth? Did you think I wouldn't be able to feel the difference in my powers between here and there?

"You know so much about that world, don't you grandfather. But not because of stories, and not because of old scrolls and parchments. Your sutras and chants, the magic you try to do, it originated in that world; but it won't work for you any longer, will it? You can't use that magic here. This world is like Kryptonite to our mystical powers. It drains them completely, leaving us like every other mortal of this plane."

Drawing in a deep breath, the old man shook his head sadly. "I think you may have picked up a real sickness in your last journey, Kagome. Perhaps you should lie down and rest a while. I will have your mother bring your dinner up to your room."

"You can't lie to me anymore, grandfather!" Kagome yelled in frustration. "If I am ever to find a way to heal the damage done by the Shikon, I must know the whole truth!"

"The truth!" the old man hissed angrily, his eyes narrowing so sharply in anger that he forced himself to look away lest she see how much hatred burned in him over what had been done. "The truth is the jewel is a curse to everyone that touches it! It will do you no good to continue as you are." He shook his head to clear away his anger, finally lifting his eyes back to her. "Kagome, please, do not give any more thought to that jewel. Do not return to that era of monsters. Your family is here. Your life is here. You are safe here. Do not waste you life chasing after a fairytale that could never have a happy ending."

"Like you did?" she pressed.

He scowled. "Insufferable child. I have had enough of this."

He moved to step around her, but again Kagome blocked his path. "Please, grandpa," she asked him quietly. Her hands reached out to take hold of his. And when her eyes lifted to find his again, they were lined with light moisture, the beautiful blue deep oceans of sorrow. "I must know."

"Kagome…" His voice trembled, and he closed his eyes against the sight of her pleading. "I can not."

"No," she corrected him. "You can, and you will."

He sighed deeply, his shoulders sagging under the weight of his knowledge and his long years. When he finally opened his eyes, there was a darkness to them that Kagome had never seen in the old man. He always seemed so happy, so content to live his life. He was strict and controlling, but it was always for everyone's best interest. He was trying to protect them all, but in this he could no longer protect her. And it was that knowledge that he held in eyes. That he was helpless against what trials remained to her, and that what he had to say would make it so that there was no going back.

"Have you always been so stubborn?" he asked with a slight shaking of his head.

Kagome laughed lightly, wrapping her arm around her grandfather's shoulders and beginning to walk with him. "Nearly as stubborn as you," she teased.

"It figures," he replied, the tiniest of smiles gracing his lips. "Well, come on then, girl. I guess it is time for some answers."

- - - - - - - - - - - -

"To have come all this way, Sesshomaru," the deep, booming voice of the forest youkai shook through the surrounding trees, rustling their leaves to create whispers of their own, "You must have something of importance you wish to ask."

"Bokutsenon," Sesshomaru addressed the old nettle, calling his presence outwards from where he lay concealed within the withered bark of his tree. He waited only until the rough, flattened features of the ancient to appear in the wood before speaking again. "What knowledge have you regarding the Shikon jewel and its guardian?"

"The Shikon?" The ancient laughed, a deep, reverberating sound that shook the foundations of the trees all around into an echoing chorus. "Surely, Sesshomaru, you do not seek the power of the jewel for your own?"

"This Sesshomaru has no interest in what meager powers the bobble possesses," he replied flatly, his tone as hard and unyielding as the glaciers of the north. "I wish to know how it chooses its guardian, and what would happen to her would the jewel be destroyed."

"Oh?" the tree questioned strangely, a knotted section of bark lifting above the hollows of his eyes. "Have you perhaps grown attached to the Kagome?"

Sesshomaru's eyes narrowed marginally as the only sign of his displeasure. "It is I that shall be asking the questions, Bokutsenon."

"Patience, pup," the old tree replied, unphased by Sesshomaru's icy demeanor. "It is a virtue your father understood."

"I am not my father, nor do I care for your taunts. Answer my question."

"You have no power over me, Sesshomaru. Do not pretend that you do. What answers lie in the planes of this world, and those lost to the ones beyond; can only be found within the pure heart. The jewel can not be destroyed. It was forged in death, and only life will bring its reign to an end. But what does one who has lived in carnage, sworn himself to conquest and the path of destruction, know of life? Would that there be one to teach you, perhaps you would have already found the way."

Bokutsenon closed his eyes slowly, his features fading away beneath the rough bark. "I grow tired now," his voice had dulled to only an echo through the trees. "That I sleep with the tress, does such make me one of them? Perhaps it is only my spirit which sets me apart, but then, perhaps it is that which draws me to them. Once, these trees were saplings, and I was still old. But now they are grown with me, as ancient as I. Is it my strength that holds them to me, or is it their own? Only time will tell."

The ancient refused to say any more, he had returned to his slumber with the trees. And Sesshomaru walked from the grove of the nettle tree with more questions raised than answers given.

- - - - - - - - - -

Kagome's grandfather had led her into the shrine, but not to the alters of the upper levels. He had taken her below the main building, through a passageway she had never even known existed, and down to a crypt that rested below.

"What is this place?" she asked quietly, her voice echoing around her in the emptiness.

Lifting the candle he held to light their way, the old man shook his head. "Once, I had thought this would be my final resting place. When I had grown tired of life, I had planned on sealing this chamber. With the shrine above holy ground to the patrons of this place, I knew that it would be protected."

"Protected from what?" Kagome couldn't understand. Even in the darkness surrounding them, she could feel the chill settled in the stone. They were underground; many meters from the surface, perhaps even at the level of the street below the shine. The stone of walls encasing them was so thick only the largest of machines would be able to penetrate them, massive slabs of rock; cold hard, and unyielding.

"From everyone," the old man replied with a sigh. "This was to be the final resting place of the Shikon."

He stopped walking when he had reached the centre of the chamber, setting the candle he held down on a stone tablet, and the image of it made Kagome shiver. It was a sarcophagus, made to seal the bodies of the dead. But how had he done this, and why?

"Grandpa…" she started nervously.

"Hush, child," he cut her off quickly, "and listen. This is a tale I have never told to another soul. I have been a fool of a man thinking I could keep this from you for as long as I have, but now that the time has come, you will hear it all."

Running a hand through his snowy hair, he sighed again and lowered himself down to the floor, settling himself as well as his aching limbs would allow against the hard stone. For a time, his eyes searched the deep shadows of the room, looking for a way to speak the words he had kept hidden for so long. But, eventually, with a deep breath, he began.

"I was a young man when the Shikon was first made known to me. It had been brought to our village in the cover of night by a group of demon slayers who knew well enough of the jewel's taint not to wish its presence. They had come in search of a priestess, and they found her in the form of my elder sister. With heavy hands and heart, she accepted her duty to the people. But it was her resentment for the duty cast upon her that opened her heart to the darkness. I tried to warn her, but she couldn't see.

"She came to believe that if a pure wish was made upon the jewel, if its power was used for something in the true name of goodness, that it would forever be the end of the curse. She was so naive. There is no wish that is pure, no desire that does not in some way give gratification to the one who would wish for it. It was the demons of the jewel that made her believe this, and it was the darkness that had settled in her heart because of her duty that had allowed them to speak to her. She meant well in what she did, she truly thought she could end the curse.

"But nothing born of so much suffering and death could ever truly be destroyed with hope. It was only love that could save it, and she could never understand. Her heart had been turned from love, the seeds of anger and resentment growing too quickly for her to ever really embrace it; and the guardian of the jewel knew this.

"With her death, there came and end. The people believed the jewel had been destroyed, burned with her body and carried with her eternal soul to its rest."

His telling was cut off by Kagome sharp gasp. Sighing again, the old man nodded. "Yes, Kagome. Kikyo was my sister. You are not the reincarnate you have been lead to believe you are. You resemblance to her is familial, nothing more."

"But…the spell," Kagome stuttered weakly. "She was given a part of my soul. How could that even be possible if we didn't share a spirit?"

"The Shikon," he ground out. But with a quick shake of his head, he dispelled his anger. "But I get ahead of myself." He shot Kagome a stern look. "No more questions until I'm done."

Gaining her nod of acceptance, he continued. "I took the jewel from the ashes of her funeral pyre before anyone would realize it, and stole away into the night. I was never as strong as Kikyo when it came to raw power, but I had a gift all my own born to me from our line. I could speak with the spirits, those of the land, the air, and the waters. Their voices called out to me, soft whispers brushing against my senses, directing me where to go. When I stopped, I found myself looking up into the branches of the sacred tree to which Inuyasha had already been sealed.

"Knowing I had been called to it for a reason, I asked the tree what it would have me do with the cursed jewel, how I could protect my people from its madness. The tree did not speak in words, but in visions of another land, of another time. It filled me with an understanding that should I go to this place where it could see with different eyes, that the jewel would no longer be a threat to the land. Through me, it has whispered across my mind, you may open the portal.

"Before I could even ask what it had meant, the sprits gathered around me. The twisted in the air, thrummed through the earth, and in a blaze from the heavens, they called down the fire. It tore a limb from sacred tree, bringing it to rest at my feet. Again I was shown the images, directed as to how I could ease the suffering of the land by taking the jewel away forever. I built the well from the wood, fashioned it with my own hands.

"But the tree could only do so much, only see so far. It didn't know that the Shikon would find its way back to the land. It didn't know that the moment I entered to portal I had created, that the Shikon would fuse itself to me. But I accepted my fate, was prepared to live with the consequences of what I had done. It wasn't that bad even. When I arrived in this time, the shrine was already here. An elderly priestess found me as I dragged myself out of the well, so disoriented at the loss of my senses and the changes around me that I could barely talk. She took me in, gave me care, and, eventually, I took over her duties here at the shrine.

"For thirty years I lived and worked here, no one ever knowing of the secret I kept, or of the world I had left behind. I had come to the understanding that magic was nothing to this world, technology having more reign. But it was a small price to pay for the knowledge that there were no demons either. The jewel had calmed, the restlessness of the demons within sealed by the way of this world. The only real magic it seemed to possess was whatever it was infusing within me.

"It had changed me. Thirty years I had lived in this world, and I had never aged a day. It was as though I was one of the immortals that I had fought against in my own time. After coming to this realization, I had this crypt built, thinking that one day I would grow tired of being the solitary guardian of a secret no one could ever know.

"But it was in this that I made my most terrible mistake. The construction head of the project had a daughter, a beautiful young girl that would often come to bring the working men cold drinks and a warm smile to relieve them of their troubles and send them back to work with new vigor. But it was not only the working men that she bedazzled. She caught my eye, and so much more.

"I had always told myself that I could not be intimate with another. My life was too drunk with secrets that I couldn't dare bring another into the madness. But I couldn't help myself. I took her into my bed and made love to her. And in doing so, I condemned us all.

"When I awoke the next morning with her still in my arms, I realized the change. The Shikon was no longer a part of me. Overnight I had lost my youth, withered into an old man, aged all the years I had lost when the jewel was joined with me. I was horrified at what I had done and what the consequences of my actions were; but more than that, I was terrified of her reaction, of her seeing me as I was and not being able to understand. After all, there is no magic in this world. They speak of spirits, but the land does not speak to them. They talk of miracles, but the Kamis do not walk in their midst.

"I ran from her, not having enough courage to face her. But she returned a month later, asking for me. I knew then what had happened, but still I could not find the strength to tell her. I lied. I told her that I was the father of the boy she had met, and that my son had been killed in a terrible accident. She had broken down in tears, told me that she was carrying his child. And all I could do was try and sooth her, tell her that things would work out, and that should ever she need anything she should not hesitate to ask.

"It wasn't until many years later that I saw her again. She had come to my door with her two beautiful children, having no place else to go. Her husband had died; her family was either gone or unable to support her and her children, so she had come me looking for a place to stay. I took them all in, and to this day, we live as a family under this roof."

Swallowing down the tightness in his throat, he finally turned his eyes to meet hers. Tears were streaming down her face, and her whole body was trembling. He tried to reach out to her, but she jerked away from him.

"All this time…" her voice was weak, broken by pain and confusion. "You…you knew all this time…and you never told me. You let me think that…that another man was my…my…" She couldn't finish. Shaking her head sharply, Kagome scrambled to her feet and took off from the chamber.

Her sobs echoed against the stone of the walls as she fled, and he could do nothing but listen. "I am sorry, Kagome," he whispered into the darkness as his own tears fell. "My darling daughter."

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

I swear these stories have a life of their own. I keep telling this one to wrap itself up, and it keeps telling me that I have to keep writing. Le sigh. Ah well, I suppose there are worse ways to pass the time.

Later

Shadow


	24. Chapter 27

Midday had come and gone before Kagome had finally come down from her room. The previous night she had spent in tears and thought and in fitful bouts of slumber where dreams were only horrific expansions of her troubled thoughts. But when the sun crested in the sky, she knew that she could no longer wait.

She had to return. There were people waiting for her. Her destiny was waiting for her.

Destiny, what a ludicrous ideal. That something could be preordained, that your life was never meant to be your own, that the choices you made were never truly yours to make. She hated even the thought of it, but she could not deny what she knew.

She had been born of magic. The Shikon had not only chosen, but created its guardian. It had lead her back to the world in which it had been created, and she could not believe that there had been chance in this. The jewel knew where it belonged, knew where its power was born. But that it had been born in that world, also meant that in that world it could be destroyed.

But how?

She still didn't know. But she did know that she would be the one to accomplish it, even if it took her many lifetimes to find the answer. The jewel was her responsibility now, and she would not, could not take the road of others.

For so long the jewel had created chaos and madness, the dark and restless souls sealed within subverting and coercing those beings which came in contact with it into doing its will. But she could not be influenced by the jewel's curse, for it was as much a part of her as she was of it. The reason only she could see and feel the shards, the reason why she was so compelled to continue searching for them until it was once again whole, the reason why she felt more at home in the fields and forests of the feudal era than she ever had on the streets and in the great towers of modern Tokyo; all of it made so much sense now.

This was not her world.

She was the Shikon's child, the guardian created to see it to its end, and there was only one place where that could ever come about. In a land of magic, in a world filled with wonder where demons and spirits and gods walked the lands alongside humans and animals. That was where she belonged. That was where she would live out her days.

"I see you are packed. You plan on returning?"

Kagome sighed heavily at the sound of his voice. She hadn't spoken to him, hadn't even looked at him since the previous night when he had told her the story of how the Shikon had been brought to this time and the truth of her parentage. It was still so hard to believe that the man she had known since her childhood as her grandfather was actually father.

"I'm going back where I belong," she replied without turning to him.

"It doesn't have to be this way, Kagome. You could live here, have a life here. Let the Shikon be the responsibility of another."

"Did you say the same thing to Kikyo? Would you have given the jewel to someone else if you had had the opportunity?"

"We did not have a choice, Kagome. You do."

"There is always a choice," she spit out angrily as she spun to face him. "It was your choice to listen to the spirits and take the Shikon from the land in which it was born, not stopping to think that those spirits may have been the voices of the dark ones sealed within the jewel that you so readily accused Kikyo of listening to, that if the demons sealed within the jewel were ever released in this time, if you listened to their coaxing and sealed your life away in that tomb, that this world would never have stood a chance once the Shikon was discovered. It would only have been a matter of time.

"But the light in the jewel knew of this too, and it was its power which managed to save you from that fate, save this world. And again you made a choice. It was your choice to be a coward and not tell mother the truth of who you are and what more you gave her than simply the child you abandoned. It was your choice to keep silent all of these years, when it was the truth that would have set you free, and the truth that would have given me the knowledge of what needed to be done before even more darkness was spread by the cursed jewel.

"I have a choice, but the choice I make is to walk the right path, to see this madness brought to its end. I am the child of the Shikon. I am the guardian born of its magics. I do not accept my fate as so many have done before me, with darkness and resentment in my heart. I embrace the life I have been given, and I will live it as I choose. I will not let some fleeting chance direct my actions. I will not allow fate or destiny to be what makes me. I have the freedom to choose, and I choose to go back. I choose to fight to see the land of that world free of the darkness that threatens all life. I choose to be the one to find the end of the Shikon's curse. I choose to live as my heart would lead me. And I will never give that up.

Her breathing was harsh and ragged, her eyes stung with tears, her entire body was shaking with anger; but inside, her heart was breaking. She bit her bottom lip in an attempt to stave off her tears, and looked away from him. "I do not think badly of you for what you have done. I know that you thought you were doing what was right, just as mother did in telling me that papa was my father when she knew he was not. I love you still, never think that I wouldn't. But…for now, I must go. I need some time to think. I'll be back to visit soon, but…"

"But you have made your choice," he finished for her.

Her tears finally broke from her eyes, spilling over her cheeks in hot paths when she looked back to him. "Yes…father."

A strangled sob caught in her throat, and she spun away from him, running towards the well.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - -

The magic of the enchanted well faded around her, setting her down gently at its base, but Kagome couldn't stay on her feet. She sunk to her knees, weeping out her pains. She felt horrible for the things she had said, but at the same time, she had wanted to say so much more. It was so wrong of him to keep this from her for so long. If only she had known…

"Kagome!"

The gruff voice shouting her name from somewhere above the well had Kagome lifting her tear-streaked face upwards. "Inu…yasha?" she questioned weakly.

"Feh!" he huffed as he leaned over the rim of the well. "Of course it's me. Or were you expecting your…" his tirade was cut off when he finally took notice of Kagome's puffy red eyes and the silent tears still running down her face. Without another word or thought, Inuyasha dropped himself down into the well, picked her up and carried her to the ground above.

"Kagome," he asked her quietly as he pulled back slightly to look at her. "Are you all right?"

"Oh Inuyasha!" she wailed miserably, throwing herself into his arms again. "It's horrible!"

For a moment, Inuyasha was too stunned to do anything but hold her and try and stop her tears. But, as his mind finally processing what he was seeing and hearing from Kagome and linking it together with recent events, a low growl started building in his chest. "Don't you worry Kagome," he bit out forcefully. "I'll kill that bastard for what he's done to you."

"No!" Kagome ripped herself back from the hanyou, her eyes wide with horror. "You can't! He's my father!"

Inuyasha blinked. Then again. Then again. Then stuttered a bit. And then… "YOUR WHAT??!! Sesshomaru's your father??!!"

"What?" Reeling back in shock, Kagome's face twisted in confusion. She shook her head slightly to rid herself of the completely bizarre images those words gave her, and then leveled a stern look on the hanyou. "No, you idiot. Where did you ever get such a ridiculous idea?"

"ME?" Inuyasha shouted in outrage. "You're the one that said he was your father!"

"Not Sesshomaru! My grandpa!"

Inuyasha's brows drew together slightly. "But I thought we were talking about your father?"

Kagome huffed and slammed her hands on her hips in annoyance. "My grandpa is my father!"

His brows furrowing even deeper together in confusion, Inuyasha finally abandoned his thoughts, since, really, they weren't making any sense anyways. "Keh, well I always thought your family was strange. But, I gotta say, that's some sick shit right there."

"Inuyasha…" Kagome ground out angrily.

His ears flattened to his head on instinct and he raised his hands defensively before himself. "No way, wench! Don't say…"

Too late. "SIT!!"

And the hanyou was effectively added to the landscape as he embedded himself in a crater formed by the impact of his own body against the ground.

Huffing again, Kagome stepped gracefully over the subdued form of the hanyou and began making her way to the village.

- - - - - - - - - - - - -

"Inuyasha? Would you wait for me in Kaede's hut? I've got to talk to Miroku for a minute."

Inuyasha eyed the young priestess wearily. Usually, the girls didn't want to spend time alone with the lecherous monk. For obvious reasons, of course. Like…that they preferred the company of himself being that he was strong, brave, and way better looking than that looser monk, not to mention way smarter.

Before he could come to a conclusion on the matter though, Kagome had hiked her backpack up on her shoulders and began making her way towards the fields where the monk usually did his meditations.

"Feh!" Inuyasha huffed at her retreating form. "Like I care what you do!" And then he spun around angrily and marched his way towards the old miko's hut.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - -

"Why, Lady Kagome, what a pleasant surprise."

Miroku was doing his best not to look disappointed in the fact that the luscious Kagome had declined from wearing her wonderfully revealing outfit of a few days prior and had outfitted herself in a pair of long pants and a, though quite tight, still not nearly as strappy and silky as her last choice, shirt. He was, however, not one to miss the way those pants seemed to hug her every curve and that the thick material cradled her wonderfully formed derriere to perk it up for his grabbing pleasure. His right hand twitched, but he fought against it. His last encounter with the young miko had killed his male ego for days, he didn't need a repeat.

Kagome smiled radiantly at the monk when she saw his reflexive hand twitch taking a retreating path. "Oh, Miroku," she said sweetly. "Don't think I forgot about you." Reaching into the pocket of her jeans, she pulled out a small bottle. "There are only a few pills. Sorry, but it was all I could convince the pharmacist to give me without my grandpa there to refill the order." She shuddered slightly at both the use of that word and the nasty images the very idea of him using the pills managed to produce. She quickly deposited the bottle in the monk's outstretched hand, effectively cleansing herself of the whole thing.

With another smile for the monk, knowing how much this would mean to him, Kagome gave him the instruction he would need for their use. "Remember to only take one, and only about twenty minutes before you want to…well, you know. Hopefully, that will fix things right up for you." She snickered slightly at the mention of things being up, and promptly turned away from the monk so that her mirth at the entire situation would be mostly lost on him.

And though Miroku was well aware that Kagome was hiding her amusement, the little bottle in his hand was holding his interest much more raptly. With half an eye, he watched as Kagome faded from sight. Once he was sure she was gone, he ripped into the bottle and poured the little blue pills out onto his hand.

Three, he counted. And all very small. Surely, he thought, such small tablets could not effectively cure him of his ailments. It would be best, he decided, to at least put them to the test to see if they really could live up to their claims. He fingered one of the pills slowly, still not quite believing that such a small thing could fix such a large problem…or what should have been a large problem, if the blasted thing would ever wake up enough for him to put it to use.

With a sigh, Miroku shrugged his shoulders, and threw back all of the pills.

- - - - - - - - - - - -

"Kaede," Kagome asked quietly of the elder miko once she had settled herself in the old woman's hut. "Can I ask you about your brother?"

The old woman's head snapped up immediately, her attention pulled away from the herbs she had been working on to take focus on the young miko. "Have ye been talking to the villagers, young Kagome?" she asked suspiciously.

Kagome shook her head. "No, Kaede. But I would like it if you would tell me about him, please."

"There is nothing to tell," the old woman replied quickly. "I do not speak of him, and would ask that ye not either."

Her eyes softening in understanding, Kagome moved closer to the old woman. "Is that because you think he abandoned you after Kikyo's death? Because you were left all alone?"

"Kagome, child," the old woman sighed with a slight shaking of her head. "Ye are always so perceptive of the emotions of others. Yes, when I was young, I did feel a great amount resentment towards him for leaving. But I know now, I always did, that he would have had his reasons. It still saddens me though that I do not know what became of him."

"I know where he went all those years ago," Kagome told her quietly. "And I know why he could never come back." She smiled sadly and too the old woman's hand in her own. "He thought he was protecting you, protecting all of you. The fires of the funeral pyre were not enough to destroy the jewel. He was the one that removed it from the ashes, and he was the one that carried it away in the night. He took the jewel to a place that he believed would be safest, away from the demons that would abuse its power. He took the jewel through the well he built to my era."

"What…what are ye saying, child?"

"I'm saying that your brother is still alive, just beyond the well. He is the one that gave the Shikon to me, no matter how unintentional. He is…my father."

"Do my old ears deceive me?" Kaede asked in an awed whisper. "Is such a thing possible? My dear, Kagome, does that make you…"

"I guess it does," Kagome replied reaching forward to give the old woman a hug. "I'm your niece."

"Oh, darling…" The old woman's words were broken by quiet sobs of joy. She had thought that all of her family was lost to her, and she had never had the time or the ability to make a family of her own after taking up Kikyo's place as the village miko. She held the young priestess tightly to her larger frame, sharing a joyful reunion she never thought possible.

It was this happy scene that Sango first saw when she entered the little hut. She turned to Inuyasha who was leaning against the wall to one side, his usual scowl plastered on his lips. "Did I miss something?"

"Oh, Sango!" Kagome cried happily as she pulled herself to her feet and dashed over to her friend to give her a squeezing hug. "I'm so glad you're here!"

"That's…great, Kagome," the slayer replied weakly, giving the exuberant girl a light pat on the back. "Maybe," she tried, "you would like to come on patrol with me and tell me about it?"

"Oh!" Kagome gasped softly, pulling back from her friend. A rosy blush began surfacing on her cheeks and she lowered her eyes to the ground at her nervously shifting feet. "I'm sorry, Sango. I can't. I have other…things to do."

"Like what?" Sango asked in confusion. "Maybe I could help you."

Kagome's embarrassed blush spread even further, but before Sango could say anything about it, Inuyasha huffed loudly.

"Feh! She's going out to fuck my bastard brother!"

"Inuyasha!" Kagome scolded him angrily.

"What?" he snapped back. "It's true isn't it? The bastard even had the gull to make some big scene about not wanting to fight me anymore because of your stupid girly emotions. Keh! Like hell! He's just trying to fuck with our minds! You shouldn't trust him, Kagome. He'll only cause you problems." He paused for a moment to take in the gentle smile rising on the young priestess lips. "You're not even listening to me, are you, you stupid girl?! I said you should stay away from him! That bastard's nothing but trouble!"

"He told you he wasn't going to fight anymore?" Kagome asked quietly, he smile growing to take over her entire face. "For me?"

"Feh!" Inuyasha huffed loudly in aggravation. "Fine! Be stupid! But don't you think that I'm going to be there to save your ass when he turns his claws on you!"

So lost in her own happy thoughts of what Sesshomaru had done for her, Kagome simply nodded absently at the livid hanyou. Which, of course, angered him even more. Nearly at the breaking point, Inuyasha growled angrily and spun away from Kagome. On his way out of the hut though, he snagged Sango's arm and gave her a hard tug to make her follow. "Come on," he bit out gruffly. "I think I need to go kill something."

Sango shrugged, knowing that the patrol needed to be done anyways, and followed Inuyasha. "We'll talk later," she called back to Kagome over her shoulder. "And you're going to spill. Everything!"

Kagome gulped slightly at that, and she started blushing again. But, she found, her embarrassment truly could get worse. She heard Kaede laughing lightly from behind her, and Kagome turned to the old woman.

"What's so funny?" she asked in confusion, a hint of annoyance creeping into her voice at the idea of what the old miko might be laughing at.

"Oh, nothing child," Kaede replied with a wide grin and a wink. "I just think you found yourself a real specimen of a youkai in that one." She laughed again. "If only I were twenty years younger."

"Oh, ewww!" Kagome exclaimed loudly, her face doing many interesting contortions and her body shaking with a shiver of disgust. Absently, she wondered if it was some sick game of the Kamis to have graced her with an over-active imagination that was being vastly overused lately on nasty images of the old and wrinkled. She quickly grabbed her bag and slung it over her shoulder, stepping out of the hut and away from such unpleasant things.

- - - - - - - - - - - - -

Miroku had a problem. A big problem. A very big problem.

Apparently, the medicines of Kagome's time were potent. Very potent.

When they had first taken effect, he had been overjoyed, and more than happy to give himself a little test run. Thos prayer beads weren't only there for decoration after all…or at least they weren't anymore. But, apparently, that just wasn't going to be enough. He had finished himself off, but the throbbing need of his manhood was still very much throbbing and very much in need.

So, deciding he definitely needed to find a remedy to his situation, Miroku gathered himself together and took off at a speedy, though somewhat hobbling, pace towards the old miko's hut. Surely, he thought, his lovely Sango or even the enticing Kagome would be available for a moment…or two…or three…

He groaned and picked up his pace.

After what seemed like an eternity, Miroku finally made his way to the little hut from the fields on the outskirt of the village. He burst through the door, his eyes searching frantically for the females of his group. Unfortunately, the only person there was Kaede. She glanced up at him from her herbs, lifting an eyebrow slightly to ask him what he wanted.

"Lady, Kaede," the monk questioned, forcing his voice to remain as cool and collected as humanly possible given that he was nowhere near cool and he felt as though if he collected any more he would literally explode in his robes, "Is the Lady Sango here?"

The old woman shook her head, and Miroku gulped. "Lady Kagome?" he tried hopefully.

Again, the elder miko shook her head, and Miroku was forced to bite back a groan. "Inu...yasha?" he tried, his voice breaking slightly at the suggestion, but really, he was desperate.

This time Kaede sighed, and set down her herbs to take a better look at the monk. "No, monk, they are not here. Is there something that I can help you with?"

Miroku groaned deeply and shook his head. But upon second thought, thought not made by the head above his shoulder, he drawled out slowly, "Actually…"

Every fiber of his being was reeling in protest…well…all except one which was throbbing painfully in need. He didn't want to…but gods! He had a raging hard-on that would just not die!

Closing his eyes and taking a deep breath, the monk lunged at the old woman.

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EEEEEWWWWWW!!!!!!! ROFLMAO. Poor, poor, Miroku. I really do have too much fun tormenting his character. XD

Well, on that note. I'm off.

Later

Shadow


	25. Chapter 28

Tap…

Tap…

Tap…

Tap…Tap…Tap…Tap…TapTapTapTapTap

"Oh, nutz to this!"

Stilling her tapping fingers, Kagome stood up from her seat on the rim of the old well quickly, her determination set. She hated waiting! So, with a quick shrugging of her shoulders, she dropped her backpack to the ground. Digging into the ragged old contraption of yellow canvas up to her elbows, she shifted through clothing, supplies of food and candy, and a few unmentionable objects that made her face heat with embarrassment, before finally wrapping her hand around the object she was looking for.

Pulling the little silver object out of the confines of her great pack, Kagome held it up for a moment to scrutinize it. So seemingly innocent, the little silver tube glinted in the late afternoon sun, sharp flashes that seemed to call out to her, tempting her to just go for it. It was a bad idea, she knew, but then, she really was tired of waiting. And, she figured, so long as she didn't tell him exactly what the little thing was used for in her time then it should be alright. At least, that's what she was telling herself. Besides, if he took offense, then she could always sooth over his little tiff with another one of the little surprises she had brought back for him.

Kagome smirked wickedly as she tightened her hand around the little silver tube, her eyes alight with mischief. She just couldn't help it. The memories of him hadn't left her mind. Even when things had gotten bad on the other side of the well, and they had gotten very bad, when she didn't think she could take any more heartache, when her body was exhausted from crying and her spirits darkened with misery; her thoughts would be pulled back to the other side of the well.

But it wasn't her friends she would think about, it wasn't the mission she had set out for herself; it was flashes of silver she would see, molten gold clashing with hard amber, blazing crimson set upon porcelain perfection. She would feel his hands on her body and she would flush with desire, recall the whipping currents of his power and be filled with incredible warmth, and hear his voice, smooth and cold as fresh silk only to be turned to crushed velvet as the deep rumbles of the beast took over, and her spirits would lift, the pain in her heart ebb, and a tender smile would raise on her lips.

In the first day after she had parted with him, her body ached, but not in pain. It was calling out to be filled by him, pulling her to be near him again, to feel his strength and his power, to have his fire ignite her passion once more. She thought she was being silly, thought that it was simply an infatuation that time would ease away. But she was wrong, because the second day had been so much harder, made even more so by flashes of memory and the soft whisper of her dreams which he had captured as well. The calling of her body was nearly painful in its need to be with him again. And though she knew she couldn't heed it, that she would have to wait, that didn't mean that her waiting would be unproductive.

She was lucky, she supposed, that she had had the time to attend to her shopping while her mind wasn't preoccupied with the tumbling thoughts and swirling emotions of her final day in her era. At least, at this moment, she was feeling lucky…though not nearly as lucky as certain parts of her were wishing she be.

And with that in mind, since, really, who could resist the idea of getting lucky with the most powerful, deadly, and godly beautiful Taiyoukai in all of the land, Kagome lifted the little silver whistle to her lips and blew into it.

…Nothing.

Her lips twisted slightly in annoyance. This would be easier, she supposed, if she could actually hear the damned thing. But, not wanting to let her mortal failings hold her back, she blew again.

…Nothing.

Huffing slightly, Kagome pulled the whistle from her mouth and glared at it evilly. "Stupid thing," she scolded it. "Why aren't you working?"

"If its intention was to make my ears ring, I do believe it has accomplished its purpose."

"Kiiiyyyyaaa!"

Kagome screeched shrilly and spun around to see who had snuck up on her. Unfortunately for her though, in her haste, she had managed to trap herself with her own feet, and ended up toppling over and lading sprawled on her back, her arms and legs spread wide to brace her fall.

Sesshomaru cocked an eyebrow as he scanned over the interesting position the miko had ended up in. "Truly, miko," he intoned, his lips twitching as he fought against the urge to smirk, "If you were so desperate for me to take you, you should have just said so."

Kagome instantly flushed hotly in embarrassment, her lips twisting into a scowl as she hastily pulled herself together. "In your dreams, puppy," she bit out hotly as she stood to face him.

Sesshomaru's lips parted slightly as though he were about to offer a retort, but he quickly clamped his mouth shut, resulting in an audible click as his fangs clashed. "Hn," was his vague response.

Her eyes narrowing slightly, Kagome eyed the Inu suspiciously. But, with a soft gasp as realization dawned on her, she smiled radiantly. "You were dreaming about me?" she asked with an excited little squeak. "That's the sweetest thing I've ever heard!"

"I assure you, miko," he replied as he stepped closer to her, forcing her to look up at him from her height disadvantage, "There was nothing sweet about my dreams."

And then, as though to prove to her the true nature of what he was speaking of, his mouth crashed down onto hers, devouring her in a kiss so hungered, so consuming, and so driven by his need to have her, that Kagome's knees buckled under the sheer intensity of it. He caught her before she could fall, drawing her petite frame tight to himself and releasing a low groan as his body too was sent reeling by her very presence.

He hadn't lied to her, his dreams of her had been so vivid and so completely carnal that he had awoken panting and growling, his entire body aflame with pulsing need so consuming it had taken over everything in his mind. Lost in a haze of lust and desire, he had swept out of the camp occupied by his ward and retainer. He had nearly made it all the way to the well before he realized what he was doing.

It was degrading, insulting, humiliating, and…damnit! He was Sesshomaru! He didn't go chasing after females for a piece of ass! They came to him!

Forcing himself away from his path towards the miko, he had lifted his voice into the night, reaching across the land in a primal call. Almost instantly, his call had been answered. The bitch had come to him swiftly, eager to give herself to such a powerful male. She had presented herself accordingly, her posture demure, her neck bared to offer her submission to him. She did everything an Inu bitch was supposed to do when presenting herself to a virile male.

And he…didn't feel a thing. Not even so much as a twitch from his rapidly deflating arousal. Growling deeply in anger, he had ordered the bitch to undress, pleased at the fact that with only one word his arousal had returned in full force. Unfortunately, as he was most displeased to discover, it had been the word itself and its connections to memories of a fiery little miko that had stirred his interest, not the idea of having the bitch. Seeing her begin to remove her clothing had nearly made him choke with disgust, and he hated it, hated her, hated himself for not being up to taking a simple bitch for his pleasure.

His rage mounting, he had snarled fiercely at the bitch and advanced on her with determination, ripping her clothing from her forcefully, roughing her up with the need to feel some of the fight that he had lost when his miko had disappeared beyond the well. But the bitch had not fought against him. She had whimpered and purred, licked at his jaw to beg for his lenience and forgiveness, and bared herself to him to invite him to his conquest.

And he had hated it. Every moment. Her forest scent had nothing on the sweet perfume of purity and fragrant blossoms, her dark fire was nothing compared to the electric burn of the radiant light, the flat cold surfaces of her yellow eyes could never compare to the depthless blue gems lit from within by passion and fire, her hard body of muscle and sinew was revolting not soft and pliant and inviting, and the bitch's submission, her unquestioning, thoughtless, heedless acquiesce to his every whim and desire without protest or struggle or devious play had turned him off so completely that he may as well have been thinking about giving it to the lumpy green toad that followed him everywhere not a properly receptive Inu bitch.

So repulsed by the bitch and her inability to give him any sort of satisfaction, he had sent her away, just barely restraining the urge to kill her for the very fact that she had not been able to please him. But he knew that it was not the bitch that had done it.

It was the miko. She had ruined him, but he couldn't find it in him to hate her for it. He wanted her, needed her. She was the only one that could calm the restless fires of his spirit, the only one that could drive him past the barriers of his restraint, the only one that his body craved, the only one that he wanted.

And even having her back with him, his want for her, need for her, only grew…rapidly…and becoming painfully hard and pulsing with throbbing reminders of how much exactly he wanted her.

Kagome, for her part, was doing no better at controlling her need to have him. Even seeing him had been enough to heat her body to a nearly unbearable level, and his assault on her mouth combined with his roaming hands that had already found their way past her shirt to trail in blazing paths across her skin as he devoured her, the strength with which he held her, and the whipping currents of his demon fire that surged around him in unstoppable waves of fury and might had her so completely lost in the throws of her own desires that she could scarcely breathe. Molten heat pooled within her centre, dripping in hot pulses from her core. She ached to feel him within her, her inner muscles clamping painfully with nothing to hold onto.

"Sesshomaru…" His name left her lips like a prayer, soft and filled with desperate need. "Please..."

Snarling, he pulled back from her. His crimson eye locked onto the little miko, a savage burn of passionate fire and carnal need. "Tell me what you want." He fought against the primal call setting fire to his blood to force the words to the surface. His body ached for her, for her touch, her heat, and the burn of her power; but he would have this from her, he would have her submission.

Because from her it had meaning, and to him it meant everything.

Kagome whimpered quietly, her arms wrapping around her shivering body after being robbed of his warmth. She looked at him nervously, not understanding why he was denying her now when it had been the hunger and passion of his kiss and touch which had driven her to the point of begging. "I want you," she whispered quietly, her lips trembling slightly in confusion and uncertainty. "I…I want to feel you, to be filled by you."

His eyes flashed dangerously, the crimson fires breaking with dark waves of black, and he growled deeply. "Show me."

Unconsciously, she took a small step back from him. "I…I don't know how," she confessed with a slight shake of her head. "Sesshomaru…"

Another nervous step away from him was cut off with a startled squeak when she felt herself run into a hard body. She drew in a ragged breath and tried to turn around, but he held her firm with a strong arm secured around her waist. His teeth latched onto her ear, and she cried out when the razor edges pierced the skin, only to have her body taken over by a coursing shiver as her powers surged outwards in a warming pulse to seal the wound.

"A nip on the ear is for punishment," his deep voice rumbled in her ear. "It is for small acts of misbehaving often given to children and mates as to not cause damage."

He shifted, leaning down lower and pushing his nose into the nape of her neck. Giving him room to do whatever it was he was doing, Kagome tilted her head slightly to the side. She was rewarded for the action by a low, vibrating growl that shook through his chest, spreading into her in waves of pure pleasure.

"To willingly bare your neck is to offer your weakest point in trust." His tongue snaked out to draw along her pulse point in a slow draw to savor her sweet taste. "It is a sign of submission, telling me that you accept my position over you and give yourself willingly into my hands."

He brought his lips to the line of her jaw, trailing light kisses delicately along her skin until his mouth rested near her ear. "To kiss or lick at the jaw is to ask forgiveness. You place yourself in range of my fangs, a dangerous position should my favor not be granted."

Kagome tilted her head slightly to look at him, finding that his eyes had once again become the cool calm of the golden oceans. "Are you asking for my forgiveness?" she asked him quietly

His lips lifted slightly in a ghost of a smile. "Perhaps," he replied as he leaned into her and brushed his lips over hers.

Kagome blushed prettily at the thought of Sesshomaru apologizing to her. She didn't really know what he was apologizing for, and he hadn't really admitted to doing so, but he was, and it made her feel…special. She smiled timidly at him, he blush spreading further as she tried to piece together words to ask him her question. "So," she drawled out nervously, "how do I…umm…show you that I…you know."

Lifting an eyebrow at the miko's jittery reactions, Sesshomaru smirked. "You bare yourself to me and then present yourself to be taken."

"Present?"

Her question was met with a slight spank on her bottom. She squeaked in surprise and offense, and wheeled about to face him. But he had already moved himself away from her, apparently leaving her to her task. If, of course, she could figure out what the hell it was.

The amused smirk lifting on Sesshomaru's lips was not helping her position at all. Her body was burning, her heart was racing, her mind was spinning, and her butt stung from where he had smacked it. She stiffened suddenly, understanding washing over her, though she really, really wished that it hadn't.

Instantly, her face was burning with embarrassment. She gulped slightly at the way his golden eyes glinted in the sun. He knew, and she knew he knew, and…damnit! This was so unfair! Damn dogs!

With a glorified huff, Kagome planted her hands on her hips. "Alright, fine," she bit out, "but you owe me one, you dirty dog. And I'm expecting flowers or poetry or something equally as useless or undignified from your perspective." He opened his mouth to say something, but Kagome cut him off. "And we're doing this my way!"

Sesshomaru watched as the little miko spun away from him and moved to collect her ugly pack. His amused smirk was quickly turning into a full blown smile. She had said that she would do things her way, and he would not have wanted anything less. She had another surprise in store for him, and he was looking forward to it immensely.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Hehe I almost let them get off easily…but then decided against it. It's more fun this way anyways ;P

Well, till next time

Shadow


	26. Chapter 29

"Take off your armor and swords and sit here."

Kagome smirked devilishly at the way Sesshomaru lifted a sculpted eyebrow at her order. But hell, this was his idea, and she was going to be the one making a fool of herself, so he was just going to have to deal with it. When he still didn't move to her request, she gestured towards the well again, lifting one of her eyebrows in challenge…it didn't work very well, being that she apparently didn't possess the ability to lift only one eyebrow, but whatever, it managed to get the result she wanted.

Sesshomaru moved over to the well and lowered himself to a seated position on the rim of old wood before slowly beginning to relieve himself of his weaponry and armor. Satisfied that he was sitting and wouldn't impede her little show, Kagome turned away from him and quickly spread out her sleeping bag on the grass. The last time had been fun and all, but she could really go without the grass burns on her back this time around. Besides, it still wasn't evening, and she wasn't about to be caught in broad daylight with her pants down, literally, by some too-nosey-for-their-own-good person who was too dense to take heed of the dangerous swells of youki that were being released by Sesshomaru to ward others from this area…no names being mentioned, of course.

Once finishing spreading the blanket out on the grass, Kagome stood and turned back to Sesshomaru. Her eyes narrowed on him slightly when she caught the rather heated quality of his gaze, a gaze that she was certain had only moments before been completely enthralled by her swaying backside as she spread out her blanket. He really was a hentai…maybe even worse than Miroku. At least the lecherous monk made an attempt at looking innocent after indulging himself in ogling a female's derriere, but Sesshomaru didn't even bother to hide the fact that he was ogling her.

Well, she decided with a slight smirk, he could ogle all he wanted but… "No touching," Kagome informed him sternly. "You can only watch."

"Miko…"

"No." Kagome cut off his warning or his statement of 'this Sesshomaru can touch whatever his grabby hands want to touch,' or whatever, quickly. "That's the rule if you want me to do this. No touching, only watching." He narrowed his eyes slightly on her, but Kagome only laughed. "It's not so bad," she teased lightly. "You're not the one making a fool of yourself. And besides," she gave him a wink, "I hear that guys really get off on this sort of thing."

Well, that certainly got his attention. Though he couldn't quite understand how not being able to touch his female was going to be a good thing, especially since he had been denied her presence for a full two days and nights and he was being made painfully aware of her lacking presence by the fact that even his loose fitting silk pants seemed about five sizes too small.

But, if it was any consolation, and it was, the heated blush of embarrassment that was spread over the miko's cheeks, down her neck, and likely dipping even lower to flush the tender mounds of her breasts, seemed a good enough return for his momentary inability to touch her…and it would be momentary, because the instant she offered herself to him properly he was going to be on her, in her, taking her, slamming himself into her dripping centre, making her scream his name, call out as only she could to make his beast purr with sheer pleasure, driving himself into her until she exploded with consuming heat and radiant power…He was forced to bite back a groan as his drifting thoughts made him throb painfully in need. The miko really needed to get a move on things or he was going to end up forgetting about his desire to have her willing submission and simply fuck her until she was so exhausted and sedated that she couldn't offer her witty retorts or play any of her arousing games.

Kagome had seen the thin wisps of crimson fire that were bleeding into his eyes, and she had to bit her tongue to keep herself from laughing. He wanted her, even though he was making her go through this ridiculous display to appease his inner dog, he was punishing himself nearly as badly as her by forcing himself to wait. She smirked. And he would be waiting, and by the time she had finished with him, he would be nearly at the breaking point…that is, of course, if she could actually convince her nerve to show up so that she could start.

Forcing herself to swallow down the thickness in her throat, Kagome fumbled with her little MP3 player. She realized, a bit belatedly, that it would be very difficult to attach the thing to her clothing if she planned on taking it off. But she was quickly hit with inspiration. Lifting her hair into a sloppy bun, she used the headphone wires to tie the music player into her hair. Shaking her head slightly to make sure it would stay put, she nodded to herself in approval before setting the headphones in her ears.

With a deep breath and a silent prayer that all those nights at the clubs with her friends would pay off for her, Kagome turned on the music. She smiled at the way Sesshomaru's eyes widened slightly when the light beat filtered into his sensitive ears, gave him a wink, and then started moving to the music.

At first the beat was slow, and she rocked her hips rhythmically, her hands caressing over her curves as she moved through the seductive dance. She had closed her eyes to him, enveloping herself in the sound of the music, in the beat and the movements of her body, and in the heat that was building in her that drove her onwards. She could feel his eyes on her, and it excited her more than she could say.

When finally the pace of the song began to pick up, she turned away from him, dipping herself down to the ground only to pull herself up again slowly. Looking over her shoulder, she could see his eyes trained on the tight curve of her back end, the crimson fires having long ago taken over the placid gold, and she smiled with wicked glee. As she straightened herself, she caught her hands on her shirt, pulling it fluidly over her head as she continued with the dance.

She heard the low growl from behind her when her skin was finally reveled to him, and she smirked, tossing her shirt over her shoulder. So distracted by what she was doing, he just barely managed to catch it before it hit him. He growled again, but the angry vibration to it was quickly cut off when she began slinking her jeans off her hips.

She felt so naughty! But it was so exhilarating! She couldn't help herself; she wiggled her way out of her tight fitting jeans slowly, pausing every once in a while to keep in beat with the music, to tease him with another piece of flesh. When she finally moved to pull the denim from her legs, she did so with lazy, languid motions, taking her time with each leg, running her hands along her creamy skin, and reveling in the low rumbles of his appreciation she could hear from behind her.

Only when she was down to her undergarments, did she turn back to him. Her body still swaying and rocking with the music, she stepped towards him. Sliding a finger between her lips, she moistened it with her tongue before letting it slip down over her chin. Her head tilted back, fully revealing her neck as she continued trailing her finger over her skin, leaving a light line of moisture behind.

Having ticked off one point on her list of things that needed to be done for his doggyness, Kagome lowered herself slowly into a crouch in front of him. Her hands settled on his knees, applying light pressure to make him spread his legs slightly to give her room to move. He gave her that, but when she leaned into him, brushing against him seductively as she arched her back to bring her to a standing position again, his hands caught her hips.

Freezing in her dance at the sudden intrusion, Kagome narrowed her eyes angrily. Without giving him any more opportunity, she leaned in quickly to his ear, taking the fine tip between her teeth and biting down as hard as she could. His breathing caught on a ragged snarl, but it was quickly replaced with a light whining sound, and he reluctantly let his hold on her tender skin slip away.

What was she doing to him? Sesshomaru hadn't even known he could make such a pathetic sounding whimper. She had punished him, and he hadn't been offended in the slightest, had even gone so far as to whine out his apology, telling her he would be good. Good? Since when was he good? And since when did he care what a female wanted from him, let alone let one punish him?

He was reminded of exactly when this change had occurred though when the miko finally released her hold on his ear and promptly turned away from him, leaving him the urge to call her back. He just barely managed to contain the light whimper that wanted to escape him. How fucking embarrassing! She was turning him into a whimpering little pup. Though, thankfully, she couldn't really understand what he was saying. She did, however, seem very pleased with herself, and he could only imagine what she was reading from the noises he was making. Great Kami! When she had told him she would concede to his request, he had thought it was going to be her that was left feeling subdued. Apparently, he had never been more wrong.

Seeing her slowly strip away her clothing, her body rocking and swaying to the beat of the music she was playing, watching as her hands traveled over her skin, was driving him insane with the desire to have his hands replace hers, for him to be the one feeling her tender body, to be the one to give her pleasure. She was driving him mad with her sinful dance. His breathing was already labored, coming out in short pants, and the only thing keeping his hands restrained from reaching out to her was the tight grip he had on the wood of the well beneath him…but, if this went on much longer, the poison beginning to drip from his claws was going to eat through even the enchanted wood.

She had brought her hand up behind her, pausing only for a moment to make sure he was watching, and then proceeded to unlock the clasp on her bra. The dammed things were expensive, and he had already ruined one. She was hoping that he would at least get some of the idea through his clouded mind on how to remove the undergarment without tearing it to shreds.

And though Sesshomaru may have, possibly, noted how the garment was removed, any further thought about her clothing was swiftly swept from his mind when he was greeted with the sight of her fully bare back. And any thought at all was promptly ripped away from him with a shudder of desire when the miko inched her way back towards him and lowered the luscious curve of her backside to brush against his throbbing cock as she continued swaying her hips to the music.

He groaned deeply, his hips thrusting upwards despite his best efforts to keep himself still. Kami, this was killing him! Though, he decided as she pulled herself away and started to tease at the light layer of cloth that was the only reaming barrier left on her body, there were definitely worse ways to die.

Kagome's hands were shaking when she finally began to pull down her panties. It was strange, she thought, that her nervousness would return now, but it was there nonetheless. Forcing herself to take a few deep breaths, and taking a moment to let the beat of the movement to take over the motions of her body again, she fought back her nerves and finally pulled the soft material away from her body.

Her heart was pounding as she slowly lowered herself onto the blanket she had stretched out on the ground, but she forced herself to keep going. Crawling slowly on her hands and knees, she tugged the wires from her ears before finally brought herself to a stop. With a deep breath, she looked over her shoulder to him, but what she saw made her breath catch in her throat.

He was standing behind her. His eyes were burning with such intensity that it made her shiver. The lines of crimson streaking his face had been twisted and contorted to jagged paths ripping across his skin. And all around him, dark currents of energy were whipping in a chaotic dance, sending his long mane of silver hair carelessly into the chaos.

She watched wide-eyed and completely in awe as he slowly lowered himself to his knees behind her. His hands reached out to brush against her hips, touching her so softly and so delicately that her whole body was taken over by a trembling shiver. It was as though he was worshiping her, his touch so light as his fingers brushed across her skin it felt like a feather being pulled across her heated flesh, setting every nerve ending on fire. He traced every inch of her, never applying more than the barest hints of pressure and making her gasp and moan with the sensation.

When his fingers finally brushed against her aching centre, she shivered so violently that her arms gave out beneath her and she was forced to drop down onto her forearms, releasing a tiny mewling sound of desperate need.

The Inu above her rumbled his appreciation to her in a low purr, the beast completely enthralled by the noises she made for him. He had thought that when she offered herself to him properly that he would want to take her immediately, thrust into her forcefully and consummate everything she had offered to him; but something within him held him back. He knew that she was still uncertain and that her mortal knowledge did not allow for her to understand fully what she was giving to him by submitting as she had; so he had taken his time to show her his appreciation, to tease her body and heat her senses, to give over his appreciation for her actions in his tender touch.

She was so receptive to him, every touch, every caress, her body responded. He wanted her so badly it hurt, but he was holding himself back because he found that her pleasure meant more. But when she had dropped down onto her forearms, any restraint he had left was ripped away. He moved closer to her, settling himself just outside of her slick entrance, feeling her pulsing heat radiating from her core that was calling out for him to fill her tight passage.

Leaning over her, collecting her body to his as he wrapped his arms around her, he pulled her gently back up and brought his lips to her ear.

"Mine."

His voice broke through the cloudy haze of her lust-fogged mind and she shivered at the intensity of it. He was claiming her, telling her that she belonged to him. But he was still waiting, holding himself back. And she understood.

"Yes," she breathed out as she turned her head slightly to see him, "Yours."

- - - - - - - - - - - -

Leaning back languidly against the sculpted chest of her demon lover, her arms slung carelessly across his thighs with her fingers stroking absently through the silken fibers of his tail, and draped in his oversized shirt to ward off the chill of the deepening night, Kagome watched the stars blink into view as she recounted the story told to her on the other side of the well.

"Would you cut that out," she scolded, an irritated scowl marring her features as she swatted Sesshomaru wandering hand away from the fine brush of hair rising above her womanhood. She huffed slightly when he simply replaced the hand she had swatted away with his other one, basically feeling his amused smirk from behind her. "I'm being serious here and you can't keep your wandering hands to yourself!"

"What did you expect, miko?" he questioned silkily, his fingers trailing in soft brushes against her as he traced the soft curve. "You branded yourself with my markings; such gives me free reign to touch you." 

Huffing again, Kagome gave up trying to get him to stop tracing faint growth of her pubic hair. "That's the last time I shave anything for you," she mumbled, a faint pout pulling down on her lips.

"Hn, not if I have anything to say about it," he muttered absently, his focus concentrated on tracing the path around the crescent moon she had shaved on herself, following it down to the lower tip to brush his fingers across the inviting dip that began the separation of her folds.

He hadn't noticed earlier, being that the miko had been too embarrassed while giving him her dance to face him as she slipped out of the remaining layers of her garments, and he had been quite distracted once she had finally presented herself to him. But once they had finished and he had pulled her back against him as he leaned against the wood of the old well, he had finally been given the chance to have her bare body to his lazy scrutiny as his hands roamed every inch of her skin, memorizing her curves and the feeling of her in the groggy afterglow of their joining.

He had wondered briefly about her absence of hair before, but being that he didn't make a habit of looking at naked human women aside from when he was guarding his young ward in her bathing, he hadn't given it all that much attention. He did, however, find it a most fascinating point the moment his hands had brushed across the faint regrowth from where she had shaved herself clean upon their first meeting.

But when he saw the shape which she had chosen to define her feminine growth, his mind had frozen in shock so acute he had hardly recognized the movement of his own hand as it cupped around the full mound of her tender flesh, his fingers slipping into her still-dripping centre in the most possessive hold he had ever placed upon another. The low rumble of claim built in his chest without thought, spreading through the miko's little body as she leaned against him and making her shiver. It had only been her light giggles and taunts about his insatiable nature that had managed to break him free of the nearly overpowering urge to take her again, to bury himself in his rightful place within the one marked of his own brand.

When he had finally snapped out of it, he couldn't believe his own actions. Such a marking, usually, was reserved for mates of high-status youkai, or given once a child reached their maturity, females upon their first heat, and males upon completing their trial of battles. A mixture of magic, poison, and ink marred the skin of even a youkai with permanent scores unless they should choose to remove the mark in blood.

That the miko, who knew nothing of such customs, was bearing a marking upon her body that was shaped in the crest of his house; he should have been offended, angered, incensed at the fact that she would have the audacity to insult his noble house in such a way…but he had not. He had been filled with hard possessiveness, with raging desire, with unstoppable ferocity that demanded him to assert his claim over what was his.

And she was his. He would never let another touch her, never allow her to be taken from him.

Biting back a sigh of pleasure at the soft stroking of Sesshomaru's fingers, Kagome willed herself to take focus on what she was saying, ardently ignoring the heat pulsing through her body. "I told him I've made my choice."

Stilling his light petting to take focus on the miko's words, Sesshomaru turned his eyes to find hers. "And what have you decided?" he pressed, his voice pulled slightly with a strain that he couldn't place.

Kagome's breath caught, the words refusing to surface when locked with the intensity of his gaze. She forced herself to turn away, lifting her eyes to the sky above her, though not seeing any of the stars. "Once everything is over, when Naraku is brought down and I've found the way to destroy the jewel; I'm not going back to that time. I'm staying here…where I belong."

Though her words were heavy with the pain that saying them brought her, Sesshomaru couldn't help but be relieved by her decision. Two days without her after first feeling the addictive qualities of her radiant light and having her tender body at his leisure had been painful enough, loosing her forever after having only shared a short few moments in his eternal life with her was unacceptable.

He was more that willing to spend every moment he could with her, to feel her with him, to have her brilliance and her light bring warmth and passion to his own immortal existence. Perhaps it was that she would not live as long as he, but such things were so distant, and he was not willing to part with her simply for the knowledge that one day he may not have a choice.

But then, perhaps, he would not have to loose her at all. "The Shikon can not be destroyed," he repeated the words told to him by the ancient. "It was born of death, only life shall bring its reign to an end. That you are its guardian, born of its magics, perhaps it intended for you to forever be so. A life born of its light to seal away the darkness forever."

"I don't know," Kagome replied hesitantly. "There has to be more to it than that. No jail is impenetrable, no imprisonment can be forever. Even if I was to live many lifetimes, using the power of the jewel to sustain my body, there would be no guarantee that I wouldn't fail in my mission to keep it safe. There is always someone or something hungry for the power the jewel could give them, desperate enough to commit atrocities just for the chance to see their deepest and darkest desires come to fruition."

She sighed and shook her head. "No, there is a way to destroy the jewel, to lay the spirits sealed within to rest. I just have to find it."

Only she could turn away from the lure of immortality simply to walk the path of righteousness. Only she could be so strong, could accept a fate that no other had been able to accept without resentment and hatred marring their heart and corrupting the jewel even further. Only she could feel pity for the creatures of darkness trapped inside the jewel. Only she would want as much for their freedom as she did for their power to be sealed forever.

To her, there was no struggle to great, no price too high, so long as she knew she had lived every moment as her heart would make her. She cared nothing for power, nothing for position, for wealth, for recognition. If others would remember her after her time, it would not be in tales of battle or in the lands she had conquered or the titles she had won; she would be remembered by the people who she so willingly gave herself. She would live on, because her love would never die.

'_That I sleep with the trees, does such make me one of them?'_ Bokutsenon had not been speaking of himself; he had been referring to the miko. She was human, but she was not. She was the child of light born of the Shikon. _'Is it my power which holds them to me, or is it their own?'_ Was her life truly bound to the jewel, or was it that she was the power, that she was the light, that her life was the immortal reincarnation of the jewel's power? _'Only time will tell.' _

But what was time to one such as him? What meaning was there to the passing of so many long years? She was human, her time so definite; but she did not morn such things, she lived every moment to its fullest, never stopping to think that she could not accomplish her mission, that time would not favor her course. She walked ahead with determination, with conviction, always following the calling of her pure heart.

But how was this to help her? How was this knowledge to allow him to understand the way to negate the jewel's power?

"Perhaps you already have…" Sesshomaru's voice was soft and distant, repeating the words spoken to him out loud in hopes that they could find more meaning.

Turning her head slightly so that she could see him, Kagome drew her eyebrows together in confusion. "What do you mean by that?"

Blinking to bring his gaze back into focus from his distant thoughts, Sesshomaru repeated the cryptic statements of the old nettle tree. "When I asked Bokutsenon of the jewel, he told me that the answers could only be found within the pure heart." His eyes shifted to find Kagome's. "He spoke of you, priestess. But he also said that life was the only way to atone for such deaths, and that I could never understand without someone to show me the way. I believe that his meaning was together we would be able to destroy the jewel. What is troubling, however, is that he implied we had already found the means by which to accomplish such."

"Well, that's just silly." Kagome brushed off his words with a slight wave of her hand. "We never did anything but fight each other until a few days ago when we…" She froze. Blinked. Took in a short, quick breath. And then let it out again as she breathed out one word, "No..."

Life to negate death. A child born of the light, and one of the dark fires. A miko and a youkai. Returning the balance from what had been taken. Releasing the curse from the jewel that had too long carried an impossible burden.

Sitting up quickly from her resting position, Kagome tried to squirm out of Sesshomaru's embrace. He, however, had come to the same realization as her and quickly tightened his hold on her.

"Sesshomaru…" She whimpered quietly, her eyes closing tightly, refusing to look at him, afraid to see his anger or resentment for the knowledge that if it would truly bring an end to the jewel's curse she would carry a youkai child, and that should he wish to keep his claim over her that that child would have to be his, born of a mortal woman, the race of beings which he had so long despised. "I didn't know…"

"Hush, little miko," he soothed her gently as he turned her to face himself. "I am not angry."

"You're…not?" she asked weakly as she finally cracked her eyes open to look at him. "But I thought you…"

Placing a finger against her lips, Sesshomaru stopped her words. "I am not entirely certain such beliefs hold merit any longer, Kagome. However, there is still much time before any decisions must be made. We will seek more knowledge regarding the jewel. It is possible that our analysis is incorrect. Though…" He paused, a small smile lifting on his lips at the look of wonderment and gentle longing swirling in the depthless blue of his little miko's eyes. He leaned into her, brushing his lips against hers in a tender kiss. "I do not like to be unprepared for any eventuality. Perhaps we should engage in a steady routine of practice."

Kagome was flabbergasted, caught between the fluttering in her chest at the idea of having a steady relationship with Sesshomaru which he admitted to having the potential of turning into a real family, the pulsing heat that enveloped her body at his eluding to more acts of mind-blowing sex, and the twinge of deviousness that arose within her that was happy to point out that her little puppy was letting his mind wander in the gutter and should be punished accordingly.

It was the latter that won out in the end, and she smirked wickedly. "Practice?" she asked suspiciously, biting her lip to keep herself from snickering when he lifted an eyebrow at her curiously. "I think you need practice on how to keep your hands to yourself." Gesturing absently to where his hand had found its way back to rest against her sex, Kagome winked at him. "I could help you with that, you know."

Sesshomaru was presented with a dilemma. Curiosity mingled with hesitations. On one side, his little miko was about to partake in one of her devious little games, games which he found to be quite enticing, not to mention incredibly arousing. But on the other hand, he really didn't want to let go of her, especially considering what exactly he was holding and that all he had to do was shift his finger minutely and he could immerse himself in the glorious heat of her core.

"Come on now, puppy," Kagome teased, her eyes sparkling with mischief as she slipped her hand down the inside of his thigh, her fingers teasing his skin in a feather-light caress as she inched her way closer to his stirring arousal. "Don't tell me you're scared."

With a low growl, Sesshomaru tightened his hold on her, pressing two fingers fully into her slick heat. He leaned down to her, his body trapping hers completely from where she was rested between his legs. The long moan that slipped from her lips and the way her head fell back against his shoulder to reveal to him clearly the full expanse of her delicate throat, only enhanced the feeling of the power he held over her.

"Do not forget to whom you speak, miko." His voice was hard, edged with a cold layer of ice. The miko trembled in his arms, a strained whimper leaving her lips as his mouth opened over her throat, scraping along her tender flesh with his deadly fangs.

"You shouldn't either, Sesshomaru," Kagome returned, her voice thick with desire. She reached her hand out, wrapping her fingers around the pulsing heat of his hardened length and squeezing tightly. A soft moan left her lips as it throbbed strongly in response to her touch.

Biting back on groaning at the sensation of having her tease against his aching cock, Sesshomaru responded to her taunts by shifting against her, his fingers slipping out of her slowly, only to be thrust back into her slick heat with force as he captured the lobe of her ear between his teeth and nipped at it gently. "Perhaps you should refresh my memory, Kagome."

His velvet voice rumbling in her ear made Kagome shiver, but it only fueled her inspiration. Her lips pulled into a coy grin. "It would be my pleasure."

Forcing her body up, Kagome latched her teeth against the smooth skin of his neck. The ripping snarl that broke out of him, she could feel vibrate angrily against her teeth as she increased the pressure. But when her hand shifted, pulling hard along his length to make his body surge with a wave of heated desire, the dangerous sound was curbed behind the low groan that spilled from his lips. His body relaxed, hunching forward slightly as he gave himself over to her demands.

Only for her, for his female, his miko, because he was helpless against her tender touch but craved it so intensely that it took over everything in his mind.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

I was going to keep going with this chapter until the end, but it's been taking a while so I thought I could give a little teaser before I wrap this up. Yes, the end is coming for this story, sad as it is. Probably next chapter. So enjoy while you can kiddies.

And for FFN readers, again, I have cut out a rather large section of this story for sexual content. The full version is available on my ASS account. The next chapter, however, being that it is the finale of this piece, is getting posted here despite the content. I figure I can get away with a little bit of mature content with an 'M' rating, so I'm going to just go with it.

Later

Shadow


	27. Chapter 30

Sesshomaru eyed the miko doubtfully, not liking at all the wicked smirk on her lips, and even less the twin circles of metal that she was holding in her hands. He had never seen the precise design, but the intention for the item was unmistakable.

"You do realize such meager restraints could never hold me," he questioned stonily.

"Well, duh!" Kagome replied with a huff, rolling her eyes at his impossible arrogance. "But being a powerful miko does have its quirks though."

She smirked again, brushing her fingers along the surface of the metal. Under her touch, it began to glow with a soft blue light. Her eyes sparkled with devious glee as her lips moved through the motions of an ancient chant. The glow beneath her hands grew brighter with each muttering, the seal sinking into the metal restraints. When the spell had taken hold to its fullest potential, Kagome held up the cuffs for Sesshomaru's inspection.

"So what do you say now, Mr. Such Meager Restraints Could Never Hold Me?" she asked with a wry grin.

"Hn," was his only response.

Her smile growing, knowing that was likely the best response she could have gotten from him, Kagome scooted herself up onto his lap, her legs straddling his waist. She giggled lightly when she felt his muscles tense momentarily beneath her, but quickly restrained her laughter. "Hands please," she chirped giddily. The dead-pan look that he gave her that spoke volumes of how much he was appreciating her chosen course of action, though, only sent her into another bout of light giggles.

Reigning in on the urge to sigh, knowing that he had all but asked for this…though he might have thought better of it had he known what the little minx had planned for him…Sesshomaru reluctantly lifted his hands forward to the miko's eager grasp.

Kagome was biting her lip harshly to try and keep her giggles at bay, but since, really, this was the funest thing…EVER!...she couldn't contain them completely. Here she was, sitting in the lap of the most powerful demon in the lands, about to slap a pair of handcuffs on him. How sweet was that?! Very, she decided as another light giggle managed to break out of her.

His low growl of annoyance, she met promptly with the tight click as she fastened the first cuff around his wrist. Her mischievous smile grew as she scooted forward to guide his arm around his back, but she was quickly cut off from her path, a startled squeak leaving her when Sesshomaru used his unrestrained hand to latch onto her hip and hold her firm as his own hips thrust upwards, giving her a full reminder of what exactly he was expecting from her in this little game of hers. But Kagome was well ahead of him in that department, and her little puppy was in for a real shocker.

"Hands," she warned sternly as she wrapped her hand around his wrist and pulled at it roughly to remove it from her hip. His eyes narrowed on her, his lip lifting marginally in a silent snarl, but Kagome met his menacing look with one of her own. "I told you, you're going to learn to keep your hands to yourself." Sighing at the low rumble of displeasure that began shaking through him, Kagome relented…a little. "I promise you'll enjoy your learning experience," she told him softly, her hips rolling forwards to brush against his length, teasing him gently with her heat.

Though Sesshomaru really, REALLY didn't take very well to the idea of being restrained as such, especially given the fact that the charm she had placed on the metal cuffs could, perhaps, possibly, restrain him to some extent; thoughts of what his little miko might have planned for him while she had free reign over his body piqued a curiosity in him that he simply couldn't resist.

It was humiliating and insulting to allow a slip of a human girl the power to restrain him, but then again, as she rolled her hips forwards again in gentle coaxing, teasing against his painfully aware arousal with her radiating heat, he couldn't quite find it in him to be ashamed at the fact that he wanted this, wanted her to tease him, wanted her to play her devious and arousing games, wanted to let her have her way with him…for now, at least.

Once she had had her fun, once her game had come to its pleasurable end, he would retake control, would give his return for her teasing, and would have her body at his mercy. The very thought of it caused him to throb with heated desire. His hips lifted of their own accord, pressing more firmly against the glorious heat being emitted by his little miko.

Kagome moaned softly at his movement, but she didn't allow it to distract her. While Sesshomaru's mind was preoccupied with the heat and pressure he found against her heated core, she gently pulled his hand from her hip, leaning into him to capture his lips, a further distraction as she maneuvered his hand behind his back to join the other one.

Making quick work of the restraints, Kagome soon had Sesshomaru's hands secured behind his back. She could feel him tense slightly beneath her, giving a tentative tug against the metal cuffs. They were holding, but he was so strong. Leaning into his ear, she gave it a light nip of reprimand. "Don't pull too hard or you'll break them. And that would ruin the fun."

"This is hardly my idea of fun, miko."

The cool measure of his voice was betrayed by the uneven lifting of his chest against hers as he fought with himself to control his body's reactions at having her pressed so closely to him. The muscles of his arms tensed, rippling under her hands in a strained pull against his bindings. Kagome bit her lip, a soft moan sounding deep in her throat. Having so much control over him was empowering, a drug in itself, and she reveled in it. Her hips rolled forward languidly, teasing against the hardened length trapped between their bodies. She snaked her tongue out to trace along the delicate point of his ear. "Let's see if I can't change your mind," she whispered seductively, giving him one last thrust of her hips before she pulled back from him.

Moving quickly to her bag, Kagome gathered it up, sent a quick wink to Sesshomaru, and then moved around to the other side of the well so that he couldn't see what she was doing.

Waiting, Sesshomaru decided, was not good for his resolve. The longer he was left trapped in the blasted cuffs the miko put on him, the stronger the urge to simply rip his way out of them. All it would take was an outpouring of power to break through the sacred seals she had infused in the metal and the restraints would be nothing more than a barely noticeable hindrance to his freedom.

His jaw set in frustration. He didn't like this. At all. Why the miko had ever thought he would was still beyond him. He was irritated, annoyed, and his arousal was deflating so rapidly he might as well have been subjected to the bitch's mint-spiked potion again. Why, for the love of everything sane, had he agreed to this ridiculous indulgence?

'_Damn that miko,'_ he cursed her silently. '_I have granted her entirely too many freedoms with my person. She needs to be shown her place…if only I could decide what exactly that place should be.' _

If he knew one thing for certain though, it was that he place was writhing beneath him. What he was still uncertain of, however, was how far that position would carry her. He understood the position that the information Bokutsenon had supplied put her in. If it was fact that should she carry a youkai's child, one of the dark fires born of the jewel as her light had been upon her own birth, that the jewel's curse would be brought to its end; she would do it.

And he, while still uncertain of his commitment to being the sire of her offspring, was so disturbed by the idea of her turning to another that his reassurance to her regarding such things had come out before he had put much thought into it. She was his. He wouldn't allow another to touch her in such a way. And if it meant being the one to end the curse she had guarded her entire life, then so be it.

But…it was more than that. And he knew it. It was just so hard to accept.

For so long he had despised her kind. The weakness and crude nature of humans had repulsed him. They were no better than filth that marred the beauty of his land. That his father had bred with one had infuriated him, but to give his life in the defense of his human mate and their hanyou child; it had been and act of such betrayal against his own that Sesshomaru had never been able to forgive him for it.

But now…now he couldn't think ill of anything his father had done. Now he thought that he understood. Because they were weak, they had needed his protection. Because he had loved them, he had willingly offered his life for them to be safe to live theirs. Because his love for another meant more than pride, honor, or duty, meant more than his own life.

Inuyasha had once said that protecting the girl gave him strength. And it did. Sesshomaru would not deny that. The hanyou was fiercely devoted to the miko, and in her presence his power only grew, along with his determination to win his battles, to conquer the demons that would threaten her.

Sesshomaru, however, had no need of such. In battle he was the blade, an assassin with no remorse. His form had been perfected, trained with grace and poise, with the fluidity of water and the strength of tempered steel. He was every bit the Killing Perfection.

That was what he had told his father in his last words to him. He needed no one and nothing to make his power more than what it was. His weapons were an extension of himself. The only reason he had coveted his father's fang was because it was the only blade he had deemed worthy of himself. That Inuyasha had been granted the fang in his stead had been disturbing, to say the least; and he had been intent on proving the half-breed inept at handling such power, such destructive force, convinced that the hanyou would never be able to harness the fires of his father's blood to the extent necessary to control the blade. The boy, however, had had inspiration, and it had been in the form of his miko.

But then, Inuyasha had always lacked confidence in himself. His words were rough and harsh, always offensive; but it was because he was always on the defensive, always hiding the fact that deep down he did not think himself worthy. She had changed that for him, had given him a reason to fight with everything he had.

Sesshomaru was not burdened with such turbulent emotions though. He knew himself, knew what he was capable of, and would never give up on a battle his mind had been set upon without giving everything he had…not like it was ever required. He had yet to be truly tested, yet to find his worthy battle.

His halfling brother was the only one that really provided him any true sport, and as bloody as the hanyou usually got, the idea of killing his own kin, tempting as it was when it came to that insolent whelp…He had taken his arm! His fucking arm! That was surely something that had earned the damned half-breed his death…But somehow, the idea of it was still rather disturbing. Perhaps it was some twisted sense of honor that kept him from releasing his full fury on the hanyou?

'_But you would have known that, would you not have, father?'_ Sesshomaru breathed out a sigh and reset his position more comfortably against the wood of the well. The miko was certainly taking her time, but Sesshomaru's drifting thoughts were keeping him occupied. _'Why would you have asked me then?' _He couldn't help but wonder. If his father had known that he needed no assistance in battle, had known his control and his strength would have always overcome, why did he still insist on him having someone to protect? His strength was what it was, and he knew well enough when allies were required for battle. He was never unprepared. Even if caught by surprise, he could always gain the upper hand.

He had protected many, there was no doubt. It had been his hand that had stopped countless numbers of demons and humans alike that made threats upon his land or upon those whose care was in his trust. But he fought for himself, for his own honor and pride. For in battle there was no one with you but yourself. Guard your assets, protect those that you could; but in the end, it was the warrior that would stand against his adversary, one will placed against another.

Still, that was not why his father had said such things to him, and Sesshomaru realized it the moment the miko made her way from behind him and entered his vision once more.

She was stunning.

Her raven locks had been gathered and pinned to reveal the full length of her neck, left bare and open all the way down to the full mound of her breasts, each covered with a small triangle of white silk that sheered and became transparent as the material flowed gently down from her chest to flair out around her hips. The centre of her garment split invitingly down the centre, allowing the soft pink of her skin to be seen clearly down her stomach and not falling low enough to cover her sex. It was only held together by a flimsy tie settled just between her breasts, and he could feel his hands twitching against the hard metal restraining him with the urge to pull that tie and free her body to his gaze.

Her eyes were slightly downcast and she fidgeted with nervousness, wringing her hands together and worrying her bottom lip between her teeth. And on her cheeks was the dainty blush that he would live forever knowing that in something so simple could be found a beauty unimaginable.

Without caring to restrain it, an appreciative smile rose on his lips. His chest flooded with warmth he didn't care to scrutinize, and his eyes softened.

He understood.

She was his match. She was the only one who dared to confront him, deny him, argue with him, punish him. She was the only one that he would allow these things because she was the only one that he felt the desire to share anything of himself with. And he would protect her, but not because he would gain strength from doing so. He would protect her because she made him laugh and smile, feel things he had never imagined he would or could. She made him happy. And so long as she was with him, he no longer felt that he was alone.

When she knelt down before him, bringing herself to rest between his knees, he knew that he it would be she that he would have stand by his side, she that she would share his life with, she that would be his mate in every way.

"Are you ready?" she asked quietly, her hands brushing along his thighs as she brought herself closer to him.

And he answered without hesitation. "Yes."

- - - - - - - - - - - -

Kagome was nervous, excited, anxious, and a tumble of other emotions that she couldn't quite name, but which made her heart flutter and her lungs tight. But, kneeling before him, looking into the molten pools of his golden eyes, seeing the warmth and the tenderness he looked upon her with; and she knew, without a doubt, that she had never felt something as wonderful as she did then.

Did he know what he did to her? Did he know that even the thought of him filled her heart with such warmth it spread through every part of her being? Did he know that every time he touched her she would learn again the meaning of the word pleasure? Did he know that when he looked at her with his smoldering gaze that she felt a weakness she had never known before, but at the same time strong enough to do anything?

She knew that had it not been he that had come to her on that night, that she would never have known true passion. She would never have had the nerve to be so bold, to do the things she had done. It had been her mission to simply have sex, and any other she would have had that with. But not him, because with him she couldn't call what they did something as simple as sex.

Her body was his, craved him so desperately it burned with need when apart from him. But he had captured so much more of her than that. She felt so at ease with him, found it so easy to talk to him. Even arguing with him, as painful as it had been, had endeared her to him even more because of his gentle treatment of her afterward, because of his soft assurances, and because she could feel in his touch and hear in the soft rumbles of his demon tongue his yearning for her as well.

She could see it now, and it filled her with such joy that she could have wept. It would be so easy to loose herself forever in him, and there was a part of her that had already been lost, a part that she had thought broken but which she found had only been waiting, waiting from him to find it.

But she would not ruin this time with such sentiment. She had promised him a treat, and as far as she was concerned, he definitely deserved it.

Breaking her eyes from his, she looked down to her hands, following their path as she glided them over his skin. From his thighs, her thumbs traced the inner line of his pelvis, her fingers sprawled out along his hips as she steadily inched her way upwards. Following the hard lines of muscle, she traced her way up over the rippling planes of his stomach.

Licking her lips against the sudden dryness, Kagome fought against the urge to look up at him. She could feel him watching her, and she knew that if she looked into his molten gaze that she would loose herself to the heat of it and her plans would be ruined. No, she couldn't let him get off that easily…well, she planned on helping him get off, but it was going to be done her way.

Her hands spread up over the rise of his chest, a heavy breath of appreciation flowing out of her when she felt his muscles flex under her hands. Her fingers twitched, latching around the sculpted muscles with both hands and squeezing against them, feeling the hard clench of response; like steel wrapped in satin, his powerful form was held by the flawless smoothness of his immortal flesh.

Leaning into him, she pressed her weight against his chest, pushing him to lean back against the wooden surface behind him. He tensed against her, the movement reminding him of his locked hands as his shoulders strained against the pull. But Kagome had felt it, and she pulled back from him, sliding her hands to his hips to urge him to move towards her.

He responded to her gentle coaxing easily, shifting his hips forward so that his shoulders could support his weight against the wall of the well behind him, leaving his arms free to bend and rest easily on the ground.

Kagome's eyes took in the sight of him greedily. Restrained and subdued, he had given himself over to her. He was hers.

She bit her lip as she shifted her hands from his hips. Pulling them together, she brushed softly against both sides of his growing length, only to smile at his sigh of loss when she pushed past it, sliding her hands off of his waist to come to rest against the ground beneath him. She shifted her weight, dropping her upper body down so low that her breasts brushed against his groin. Pulling against him with her body, she finally brought her lips in contact with his skin. She trailed hot kissed along the line of muscles rippling his stomach, every movement accentuated by the rubbing of her body against his. Beneath her, she could feel every shift of his body, every tremble through his muscles as they fought between tensing and relaxing completely.

When she closed her mouth over the dark peak of his nipple, she couldn't help playful tugging against it with her teeth. A light shaking in his chest signaled the beginning of a growl, but Kagome quickly cut him off by shifting her weight so that her right hand could dip between their bodies and take hold of his shaft. "Would you prefer I bite somewhere else?" she asked him darkly before her teeth latched against his nipple again, biting down hard against the sensitive flesh.

A low moan spilled from his lips, and Kagome couldn't help but snicker to herself as she wondered whether that was a yes or a no. Well, she decided, there's only one way to find out.

Sliding her body down, she braced herself against her elbow. Her right hand was still free to pump along his hardened length, and she stilled for a moment to watch as she pleasured him. The sight was mesmerizing. Her eyes glazed over with desire, and without thought she found herself leaning towards him, wanting to taste him.

Her lips wrapped around the heated tip of his arousal. Gently, at first, she sucked and nipped at the head, pausing every once in a while to slide a portion of his length deeper into the hot cavern of her mouth. Her hand was still moving, drawing against him in long, strong pulls that would draw new heat and new firmness to the sensitive region as she continued pleasuring him with her mouth.

With one last hard draw against him, she began to pull her away. Whether consciously or not, he had recognized her movement for what it was, and his hips surged upwards in an attempt to keep the heat of her mouth wrapped around him. But it was she that was in control, and she told him this clearly a she brought her teeth to rest against his shaft and began applying careful pressure. He stiffened beneath her, a soft whine sounding in his throat, and she smiled as she pulled back from him.

"Don't worry," she soothed him quietly as her hand stroked softly along his length to sooth away the lingering sting and the loss of warmth. "I'm not finished with you yet. But…" She trailed off, her lips quirking in an impish grin.

He knew that look. That was a look that meant trouble…very pleasurable trouble. He nearly groaned just at the sight of it, the darkness in her eyes as the deepened with the shadows of the night to take on a deep cobalt color, the slight parting of her full lips, not to mention the powerful wave that pulsed through the air to leave it singing with the electric burn of her powers and heated with the thick spices of her scent in the full burn of her arousal.

She pulled back from him, reaching up to her hairpiece and pulling back a strange device only about the size of one of her fingers…a fitting analysis being that she slipped the item on her right index finger.

"Do you know what this is?" she asked with a coy grin that clearly showed she knew he hadn't a fucking clue. But, not wanting to actually tell her that, he simply kept his silence, watching her intently for her next move. "Maybe a little show and tell is in order?"

The light ring in her voice spoke clearly of her mischief. He was already at her mercy, chained and left open to her torturous touch. What more could she do to drive him insane with desire? It was already taking every last bit of his will not to rip apart the restraints she had placed on him just so that he could put his hands upon her skin, hold her body as she pressed herself against him.

Such exquisite torture, and he couldn't get enough of it.

When she stood in front of him, the sight was nearly enough to make him loose himself. Her centre was level with his eyes, the tender folds swollen with the pulsing heat of her blood and glistening with the sweet nectar dripping from her core. The full scent of her surrounded his senses, and he was left panting with the need to sip his tongue out to taste her sweetness.

Not being able to help himself, he leaned forward, every bit expecting her to try and stop him. But to his surprise one of her hands came to rest on the back of his head, her fingers threading through his hair and guiding him gently directly to her. A low purr of utter satisfaction and appreciation thrummed in his throat as he opened his mouth to devour her, to consume her heat and the juices of her passion, to take the taste of her into himself, it and it alone to savor in his pallet.

But he had only managed to dip his tongue into her glorious heat for and instant before she had pulled herself away from him. He snarled, his body jerking forward to latch onto her again, but her tight grip in his hair held him, reminded him that for this time she was in control. Clenching his hands tightly behind him in a painful reminder of why he was in this position, he managed to bring himself back under control, relaxing in her hold again.

A faint buzzing noise filtered through the haze of lust clouding his mind. Looking up to find the source, he saw the miko trailing the toy she had placed on her finger down through the valley of her breasts. The soft moan she released and the slight arching of her body as she leaned into her own touch caught his attention. It was her toy that the sound was coming from, a soft vibration that was being emitted to travel through her skin.

He watched in utter fascination as she continued dragging her fingers lower until she was brushing tentatively against the slick folds of her centre with the contraption. "It's for pleasure." Her voice was so soft it was almost a whisper, but so thick with desire that it made throb painfully in response. "But not mine."

Startled at her declaration, Sesshomaru lifted his gaze to hers. She smiled at him timidly, her cheeks stained in a beautiful blush. But she quickly averted her eyes, lowering herself to her knees once more.

His breath caught when her hand wrapped around his length and he first felt the soft vibrations spreading through him. His arousal surged in response, pulsing strongly against the new sensation, clouding his mind of anything else but the pleasure. But then her lips wrapped around him, the heat of her mouth and the soft stroking from her tongue drawing against him, and he was lost.

The sounds of his pleasure were rolling out of him freely; moans and sighs of pure ecstasy, and grunts and growls of raging desire and carnal need. His hips bucked upwards, needing to feel more friction, and this time, she responded by picking up her pace. Her lips glided along his length in smooth motions, dipping low with the movement of her hand to take in as much of him as she could before drawing back with a dragging pull.

So lost in the sensations of her touch, he had hardly registered her movement as she lifted her left hand to cup his sac. Not pausing in any of her other motions, she squeezed him gently. He nearly broke right then. He groaned deeply, biting his lip to try and hold himself back.

"Kagome…" He tried to warn her, to tell her to stop, but she shook her head slowly, rolling her tongue around his throbbing length in added emphasis.

Any protest he might have made was completely forgotten she he was assaulted with another wave of vibrations being emitted from her other hand. It shocked him so completely that he actually cried out at the sensation as his entire body was racked with pulsing tremor. He tried to fight against the tidal wave threatening to break through, but she continued assaulting his senses with such unmatched pleasure that he couldn't contain it. When her left hand shifted against him, allowing her palm to apply light pressure to his tightened sac as the vibrating pill on her fingers brushed against the sensitive region just below; his restraints finally gave out.

His head dropping back, he roared wildly as his release exploded in her hot mouth. His entire body shook with waves of euphoria as she milked every drop from him. He could feel the hot liquid spilling down from her lips to coat his length, slipping under her hand as she continued to stroke him tenderly.

Panting heavily as he forced in his ragged breaths, Sesshomaru's crimson eyes settled on his little bitch. "Stand up," he barked his order out at her. She froze against him in uncertainty, pulling back slowly to lift her eyes to him. "Stand up!" His tone was fierce, ripped by a vicious snarl.

Drawing in a shaky, uncertain breath, the miko slowly rose to her feet. Wasting no time, Sesshomaru ripped his way free of his restraints, his hands shooting to her hips to draw her closer to him. She gasped in shock at the suddenness of the action, but her start was quickly replaced with an elated cry as he brought his mouth to her centre, taking from her the feast he had been denied for far too long.

When his mouth had first wrapped around her, his tongue plunging hungrily into her deep cavern, Kagome was taken over by a crippling wave of pleasure so intense he knees buckled, but his tight grip on her thighs and bottom kept her from falling away from his tasting of her. Her head spun with waves of dizziness and euphoria as he continued assaulting her core; but when he started growling in a low pulse, the strong vibrations that shook through her tore against every never ending to ignite them with blazing heat.

Her scream lifted into the night, a wave of white fire dancing through her eyes and across her skin as he body was sent reeling by her release. He held her steady as her body tried to collapse, slowly drinking her flowing nectar in as she regained her strength. When he finally pulled away from her sweet core, it was with great reluctance; but he needed his little bitch, needed to feel her heat wrapped around him.

He lowered her gently to his lap, bringing her slick folds flush with his pulsing member. Before he entered her though, he paused to catch her lips in a deep, passionate kiss. Their tastes were mingled together in the heat of their mouths, and his low purr of pleasure was met with a soft moan from his miko.

"Sesshomaru…"

Her breathless sigh as she rocked her hips forward to press herself against his length nearly broke him. Not needing any more encouragement, he lifted her hips and brought her heat down over himself. He hissed in pleasure when he felt himself enter her hot, tight passage, and she moaned deeply, her arms wrapping around his back to pull herself closer, mould her body more effectively with his.

Catching her lips again, Sesshomaru began coaxing her into moving against him. Slowly at first, her hips rolled forwards against his, moving in small circular patterns that had him brushing against every inch of her heated passage. But as he began adding his own thrusts to hers, she quickened her pace, matching his thrusts.

Having him buried deep within her was all she could think about. When he had first entered her, she only wanted to hold him in that deep place, but as he began thrusting against her, she could feel him press even deeper, filling her even more. She wanted more, needed more, and she began matching his thrusts to drive him as deep as she could. She leaned back from him, her hands coming to rest behind her on his thighs for supports as she continued rocking her hips forward strongly. Her breathing was harsh and the pounding of her heart she could feel in the rushing of blood through her ears; but she couldn't stop.

The strong pulling from within her grew tighter with every thrust, always closer to the breaking point; and with every thrust she would push herself harder, looking for the stroke to finally sever the ties. At last she found it. She cried out as she felt the trembling wave of ecstasy begin to spread through her. Her body clamped down around him, her arms and legs pulling him as close to her as possible as she rode out the final tremors of her release.

Holding her trembling body against himself, Sesshomaru nuzzled into the soft curve of her neck, breathing deeply of her contentment. "Have you had enough, priestess?" he asked in a slow, husky drawl.

"Never," she breathed out against him, a faint shiver spreading through her as her inner muscles spasamed once more.

"Indeed," he replied with a smirk as he tightened his hold on her and pulled her hips forwards to meet his again.

His miko moaned deeply, but it only drove him onwards. Holding her body tight to his, he repositioned them, laying her down against the blanket she had spread on the ground and settling himself atop of her. He paused for a moment to catch the ties holding her flimsy garment together in his claws, giving them a gentle tug to release the bow. The material floated away from her body instantly, leaving her completely bare, just as he wanted her. Leaning into her, he took one of her pert nipples into his mouth, rolling it with his tongue and suckling gently as he slowly began to push himself into her slick heat once again.

A soft whimper from her though had him looking up. "Sesshomaru," she pleaded with him quietly. "Please…go faster."

For an instant he thought that he might prolong her torture as she had done for him, but when he was confronted with the soft blue of her pleading eyes, the thought was swept away. He could not resist her.

Picking up his pace to a steady rhythm that buried him deep within his little miko's blazing heat with every long stroke, Sesshomaru let sensation guide him. When her body was lax and receptive, he would pump into her quickly and firmly; but when she stiffened with another wave of ecstasy, he would slow, push himself deeply into her trembling core, burying his length fully in her molten heat.

Time passed with no meaning and no notice. They remained locked together, lost in each other. Their bodies were one as they moved together in their mating dance. Pulses of power and cries of rapture surrounded them, bathed them in a glow of their own passion.

When at last he couldn't hold back any longer, Sesshomaru let his body fall against his lovely mate, holding her tightly to him as he was steadily milked of the last vestiges of his release by the trembling contractions of her inner walls. Exhausted, contented, and more satisfied than he had ever been; he simply allowed himself to lie against her in the afterglow of their passion, to breathe in her scent and feel the heat of her body against his own.

He was so relaxed and so content to simply stay where he was, he might have fallen asleep were it not for the gentle nudges she gave him. Pulling back from her lazily, he rolled over onto his side and gathered her to his chest. She giggled lightly in her exhaustion-drugged voice, wiggling her back end against his spent cock as she settled herself in his hold. But Sesshomaru was too satisfied with her to give her any sort of reprimand, so he simply tightened his hold on her, slipping his hand up between the valley of her breasts to hold her heart to him from both sides.

With a soft sigh, Kagome's eyes slipped closed. She was warm and safe in the arms of her demon lover, and exhaustion and contentment were pulling her quickly towards the capture of dreams.

But…"Sesshomaru?" she asked quietly.

"Hn," he murmured in response, his lips brushing across her shoulder in a light kiss.

"Will it always be like this when we make love?"

Pulling back from her shoulder, Sesshomaru's eyes opened to look down at his little miko. She was curled up against him, her body fitting perfectly within his protective hold. Her fingers were curled around his as she held his hand in the valley between her breasts, her eyes were closed, her features lax and set in the perfect softness of her serenity.

She was the most beautiful creature he had ever seen. Her heart so pure and loving, her radiant light so captivating and so warm it filled every part of him, her soft curves and her glorious heat, her quick wit and her devious play, her fiery temper and her gentle nourishing; she was perfection, made from him and him alone.

A soft thrum of contentment and pleasure started in his chest, and he leaned into her again to nuzzle his nose into the soft curve of her neck. "No, Kagome," he breathed out against her tender skin. "Love…has nothing to do with this."

"Hmm," she sighed sleepily, her voice drifting distantly as she was being taken over by sleep. "You're wrong..." She didn't say anything more.

Silence descended upon them, the only noises the soft sounds of the night's breezes and the faint calls of distant night-birds engaging in their hunts. Slowly, as her body succumbed to sleep, her grip on his hand slackened. Sesshomaru pulled away from her hand gently, allowing his fingers to brush down her chest until they were stroking lightly against the planes of her stomach. His mind swam with images of her soft curves being filled as she grew heavy with his pups, and a slow, tender smile pulled on his lips. Taking in one last long breath of her captivating scent, he allowed himself to relax, knowing that she was safe within his embrace as he was pulled away from wakefulness.

His eyes slipped closed, but before he fell into slumber with his little miko he whispered the words that even in her sleep made the young priestess smile.

"I know."

…_**Fin…**_

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Well, that's all folks. The hentai ride has come to an end. So, please, on your way out, leave a review for your hard working authoress who brought you all of this lemony goodness.

Hurrah for Smut! Lol now lets see if I can go back to writing some non-hentai-infused storylines ;P

TaTa

Shadow


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